This likely caused a miscount of the population size of white marlin and roundscale spearfish before they were determined genetically different in 2001.

Researchers have identified fossils from the genus Tetrapturus dating back to the Langhian Age 15 million years ago (Mya).

[9] White marlin are mid-sized billfish with a bill that is round in cross section, and distinctly forked caudal fin.

The largest white marlin reported was 2.8 m (9.2 ft) LJFL and weighed over 82 kg (181 lb).

These rays make up a fin tall and rounded in the anterior, but quickly levels off and then decreases as it extends to the posterior.

[5] Unlike other marine fish, white marlin do not have gill rakers which are involved in suspension feeding.

[1] White marlin are near the top of the food chain and will consume any prey they can find that is manageable for their size.

Schooling flyingfish, small tuna, mahi-mahi (dolphinfish, dorado), and squid are the preferred prey of white marlin.

[4] The lifecycle of K. albida begins with a large spawning in warm tropical waters near the equator.

Placement into the endangered species list was not established until 2007, when the population numbers had already dropped below easily recoverable levels.

[5] Many billfish are caught in gillnets or on longline hooks that were meant to catch other fish species.

The city hosts the annual White Marlin Open, a big-game tournament which attracts anglers from all over the world, and which frequently pays out over a million dollars to the winning team.

The tournament encourages tag-and-release (nonlethal) handling of the fish, although winning marlin are often brought back to the marina for verification of the size and weight.

The 2010 White Marlin Open was held at Harbour Island Marina on 14th Street and the Bay.

The 2016 White Marlin Open created controversy when the only fish that met the minimum weight requirement of 70 lb, was disqualified when the crew of the winning boat, Kallianassa, was deemed to have failed a polygraph which implied that tournament rules were broken during the clash.