Makaira

Makaira (Latin via Greek: μαχαίρα "sword") is a genus of marlin in the family Istiophoridae. It includes the Atlantic blue and Indo-Pacific blue marlins. In the past, the black marlin was also included in this genus, but today it is placed in its own genus, Istiompax.

Species

 * Makaira nigricans Lacepède, 1802 (Atlantic blue marlin)
 * Makaira mazara (Jordan & Snyder, 1901) (Indo-Pacific blue marlin)

Although they are traditionally listed as separate species, recent research indicates that the Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) and Indo-Pacific blue marlin (Makaira mazara) may be parapatric populations of the same species.

The following fossil species are also known:


 * †Makaira adensa Gracia et al, 2024 - late Miocene of Italy
 * †Makaira belgica (Lériche, 1926) - middle Miocene of Belgium, late Miocene of Italy
 * †Makaira colonense Gracia et al, 2022 - late Miocene of Panama
 * †Makaira cyclovata Gracia et al, 2024 - late Miocene of Italy
 * †Makaira fierstini Gracia et al, 2022 - late Miocene of Panama
 * †Makaira panamense Fierstine, 1978 - late Miocene of Panama
 * †Makaira purdyi Fierstine, 1999 - Pliocene of North Carolina, USA
 * †Makaira teretirostris (Rütimeyer, 1857) - early Pliocene of France

Phylogenetic analyses recover these fossil Makaira as together forming a clade more derived than the extant species, despite all of them being extinct.