572-kilogram blue marlin caught off US coast could be a regional record
An angler off Massachusetts landed an estimated 572-kilogram, over-3.3-metre blue marlin after a three-hour fight, in what could be the largest specimen of the species ever caught on the US East Coast.
A massive blue marlin weighing an estimated 572 kilograms and measuring more than 3.3 metres was caught in the Atlantic Ocean off Massachusetts on Wednesday. Experts believe it could be the largest specimen of this species ever landed on the US East Coast.
The fish was caught by angler Walter Chapman, fishing with the crew of experienced captain Damon Sacco. Using only a rod and reel, Chapman battled the fish for roughly three hours. The captain said he had never seen anything like it in his long career — when he first spotted the huge fin above the water, he initially thought it belonged to a shark.
A rarity in northern waters
A blue marlin of this size is considered extremely rare off Massachusetts, since the species prefers warmer tropical and subtropical waters, while the northeastern US coast stays too cold for most of the year. Researchers from the University of Maine plan to examine the fish's otoliths (ear bones) to determine its exact age, estimating it could have been around 25 to 30 years old. A researcher noted that catches of blue marlin over 1,200 pounds are unlikely to be common in the Atlantic in coming years.
Just short of the world record
When the fish was brought ashore at Falmouth harbor, a large crowd gathered to see it, with locals describing the catch as truly impressive. Chapman himself confirmed it was the largest fish he had ever caught. The catch was divided among about a dozen people, with part of it expected to be used for fish soup.
While the catch is a contender for the US East Coast record, it fell about 64 kilograms short of the world record. The heaviest recorded Atlantic blue marlin weighed approximately 636 kilograms and was caught off the coast of Brazil in 1992.
