Habitat preferences of striped marlin (Kajikia audax) in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Striped marlin (Kajikia audax) is an epipelagic species distributed in tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, it is captured principally in commercial longline fisheries, and in small artisanal fisheries, however, it is also taken throughout its range in this region as an incidental catch of the tuna purse‐seine fishery. Previous studies suggest that overexploitation and climate change may reduce abundance and cause changes in spatial distributions of marine species. The main objective of this study was to describe the habitat preferences of striped marlin and the changes in its distribution in response to environmental factors. Habitat modeling was conducted using a maximum entropy model. Operational level data for 2003–2014, collected by scientific observers aboard large purse seine vessels, were compiled by the Inter‐American Tropical Tuna Commission and were matched with detailed (4 km) oceanographic data from satellites and general circulation models. Results showed that the spatial distribution of habitat was dynamic, with seasonal shifts between coastal (winter) and oceanic (summer) waters. We found that the preferred habitat is mainly in coastal waters with warm sea surface temperatures and a high chlorophyll‐a concentration.