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“Observations suggest broken-bill marlin become more conservative in

their energy usage when hunting.”

- Dr. Kelsey James | MARINE BIOLOGIST, NOAA

lar turnover and metabolic rates. Older individuals, by contrast,
are more likely to heal without regrowth, resulting in permanent
deformity. Still, neither age group is immune to adaptation—both
have shown the capacity to continue thriving post-injury.

Perhaps the most surprising revelation is that marlin with broken
bills may live just as long as their uninjured counterparts, assuming
they avoid infection or starvation in the short term. Studies from
the Billfish Foundation and tagging programs from institutions
like NOAA show recaptured marlin with damaged bills months
or even years after their initial release. These recaptured marlin
showed normal migration patterns and growth rates, suggesting
survival is not severely compromised.

The reports also show that although precise mortality rates are
difficult to calculate, anecdotal data suggest that broken-bill mar-
lin do not suffer dramatically higher mortality rates than their in-
tact counterparts, provided they are otherwise healthy.

Post-release mortality, however, is significantly higher when bill
damage occurs due to poor handling (e.g., excessive time out of
water, rough gripping of the bill, or deep-hooking injuries).

For researchers like Dr. Kelsey James, a marine biologist studying
billfish migration, these cases offer more than curiosity—they of-
fer clues into fish resilience in an increasingly industrialized ocean.
“Every time we spot a marlin with a broken bill actively feeding,
it reminds us how adaptable life can be,” says Dr. James. “It also
tells us that conservation strategies—like reducing bycatch and
handling stress—are worth it. These fish can recover, but only if we
give them the chance.”

The marlin, even without its iconic bill, remains a powerful emblem
of the ocean’s unpredictable challenges and nature’s unmatched
adaptability. While the bill may define its identity to us fishermen,
it is not the total sum of the fish. Speed, endurance, intelligence,
and opportunism all work together to ensure that a marlin can
survive—even thrive—without the perfect form evolution gave it.

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