Striped marlin: the hunter of the Sardine Run (what it eats and how it hunts)
The striped marlin is a predator that in Baja California Sur feeds mainly on chub mackerel, Pacific sardine and jumbo squid, together about 55% of its diet, and eats about 2 kg a day (3.6% of its body weight) [1]. Its menu changes with the ocean: in cold periods squid dominates, in warm periods sardine and mackerel [2].
If you've ever seen a video of a marlin lighting up its stripes as it slices through a sardine ball, you know why so many travelers dream of the Sardine Run. But what do we actually know about how this hunter eats?
What it eats: 505 stomachs tell the story
Researchers analyzed the stomach contents of 505 striped marlin caught by the Cabo San Lucas sport-fishing fleet between 1987 and 1989. Their most important prey were chub mackerel, Pacific sardine and jumbo squid, together about 55% of their diet [1].
A hunter that adapts
A second study, with 1,261 marlin from Cabo San Lucas between 2007 and 2010, found 89 different prey items in their diet. Even so, scientists classified it as a specialist consumer [2].
- In cold periods (2007, 2008 and 2010), its main prey was jumbo squid [2].
- In the warm period of 2009, sardine and mackerel were most important [2].
In other words, the marlin eats what the sea puts in front of it, and that changes with temperature and events like El Niño. Read how El Niño and La Niña change wildlife.
The stage: Magdalena Bay's sardines
In Magdalena Bay, Pacific sardine have a reproductive cycle from December to July, peaking in January and February [3]. Where there are sardines, hunters show up. Discover the whole show in what is the Sardine Run.
Experience it on our Magdalena Bay Ocean Safari, in November and December.
Experience it with Keabelmet
Frequently asked questions
What do striped marlin eat?
Mainly chub mackerel, Pacific sardine and jumbo squid, about 55% of their diet off Cabo San Lucas [1].
How much does a marlin eat per day?
About 2 kg per day, around 3.6% of its body weight [1].
Where can you see striped marlin hunting?
On the Magdalena Bay Sardine Run, on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur; Keabelmet runs it in November and December.
Scientific sources
The wildlife, season and geography facts in this article come from these publications. The [n] citations in the text link here.
- Abitia-Cárdenas, L. A., Galván-Magaña, F., Cruz-Escalona, V. H., Peterson, M. S. & Rodríguez-Romero, J. (2011). Daily food intake of Kajikia audax (Philippi, 1887) off Cabo San Lucas, Gulf of California, Mexico. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 39(3): 449–460. doi.org/10.3856/vol39-issue3-fulltext-6
- Ortega-García, S., Arizmendi-Rodríguez, D. I. & Zúñiga-Flores, M. S. (2018). Striped marlin (Kajikia audax) diet variability off Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico during El Niño–La Niña events. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 98(6): 1513–1524. doi.org/10.1017/S0025315417000595
- Torres-Villegas, J. R., Ochoa-Báez, R. I., Perezgómez-Álvarez, L. & García-Melgar, G. (1995). Comparison of seasonal variability in the reproduction of Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) from Baja California Sur, Mexico in the years 1982–1992. Scientia Marina 59(3-4): 255–264. www.repositoriodigital.ipn.mx/bitstream/123456789/12965/1/To…
