The Atlantic blue marlin is a giant Atlantic billfish (Makaira nigricans) famed for size, speed and range. The species is recently in the news after a 1,260-pound marlin was landed off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, underscoring its stature and the sport-fishing culture around it.
Massachusetts boat captain Damon Sacco and client Walter Chapman have landed what investigators say is the largest Atlantic blue marlin ever caught off the U.S. East Coast, weighing 1,260 pounds and measuring over 11 feet. The catch, made about 100 miles off Cape Cod at Atlantis Canyon, comes within 142 pounds of the world record and highlights the rarity of such fish in New England waters.