Natur is potent.
The bill of a Marlin being its foremost tool for hunting prey, it is stunning to see a big Blue without one.
Team TOTAL fished last weekend off Luanda, just to hook and board a nice Marlin... which had no bill.
What I find so amazing:
. it is no birth defect
. it must have lost the bill as a juvenile, but the wound healed off completely
. the bill-less Marlin still grew to become a quarter of a tonne animal
Anyone seen / heard of such case?
Cordially,
Hey Jan, ist nicht etwa in Joke von Dir?
Dann können sich die Marline also auch ohne Schwert problemlos ernähren! Interessant!
Der arme Angler steht nun ohne Trophäe da. 
Blöd gelaufen, würde ich sagen!
Rudi
Hi Jan and Rudi
In what is nearly 30 years since I caught my first Marlin I've seen literally one without a bill. It was a 900lb plus Blue from Ascension Island. But still not quite as extreme as that Angolan fish! This one had a short stubby bill probably no more than 20 centimetres long and gave our crewman, Marty Bates, no end of problems in how to release it. Nothing to grab hold of! Fortunately it was so strong it managed to throw the hooks when it was leadered. Even though you can't see the absence of a bill from the image what you can see is that it was perfectly healthy. (I will though have to look through images of the trip I might actually have one that illustrates its short bill.)
I've also included an image that shows a juvenille Black Marlin with a curved bill; presumably a genetic abnormality?
But as well as using their bills to stun fish they do use them to agressively attack Mako Sharks and even other Marlin. Both species have been found with Marlin bills embedded in them.
Dave
Um ... I suspected it was not going to be the best of images. But follow the leader down and the hook was lierally caught in the tip of what was left of its bill. Unlike the Angolan fish marginally longer than its lower jaw.
...what could happen in our oceans.
Rudi
