How big was the largest fish you’ve ever caught? I’ll bet it didn’t come close to the size of the absolutely massive blue marlin caught by Pauro Arnold on August 28, 2023, in Titikaveka, Cook Islands.
Marlins often hunt in groups, similar to wolves.
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What Is a Marlin?
A marlin is a large, ocean-dwelling fish of the Istiophoridae (or sailfish) family. Closely related to swordfish, they have long bills, long slender bodies, and a dorsal fin that can be raised and lowered like a sail. Their anatomy allows them to be extremely fast and skilled hunters. Some sailfish even hunt in groups, using their sails to communicate to one another and to scare fish into a manageable herd (shoal). This intelligent, pack-like hunting allows all the predatory fish to take their pick of the food.
The black marlin is the largest of the 10 or so marlin species, followed closely by the blue marlin. Interestingly enough, female marlins grow larger than males.
Black marlin are the largest species of marlins.
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How Big Was Pauro Arnold’s Marlin?
Pauro Arnold’s blue marlin weighed 1,158 pounds, setting a new record for largest marlin every caught in the Cook Islands. The first holder of this record, Cameron Thorp, was set in June 2019 when he landed his “grander.” Marlins weighing more than 1,000 pounds are commonly referred to as “granders.” Thorp’s blue marlin grander tipped the scales at 1,041 pounds, more than 100 pounds lighter than Arnold’s. Not quite a year and a half later, in November 2020, Paku Poila caught a 1,045-pound blue marlin catch in November 2020—a mere 4-pound difference.
Arnold reported that he struggled with the fish for about 1.5 hours on his 22-foot boat. It had been a dream of his—to catch a grander—for 14 years when he reeled in his record-breaking marlin. Arnold expressed that none of the fish would be wasted and that he was honored to have caught it.
World Record Marlin
While Arnold’s blue marlin is enormous, the world record for largest marlin of any species ever caught belongs to a black marlin reeled in on a rod, in compliance with the rules of the International Game Fish Association, on August 4, 1953, by Alfred Glassell Jr. in Cabo Blanco, Peru. Glassell’s black marlin weighed 1,560 pounds and measured 14.5 feet long.
The largest black marlins are known to grow to be about 15 feet and weigh around 1,500 pounds. The length and weight of blue marlins—the second largest marlin species—average around 11 feet and 1,000 pounds, respectively, although larger species have been identified.
