{"id":3353,"date":"2026-07-16T15:36:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3353"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:36:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:36:59","slug":"unexpected-finds-made-in-blue-marlin-caught-during-nc-tournament-scientists-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3353","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected finds made in blue marlin caught during NC tournament, scientists say"},"content":{"rendered":"

The winning fish<\/a> caught during North Carolina\u2019s Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament are proving to be full of surprises for researchers tasked with sampling the carcasses.<\/p>\n

Read more Bystander sees struggling swimmer in ocean, leading to tragic end, NC town says<\/a><\/p>\n

This includes not just stomach contents, but evidence of meals that didn\u2019t go down without a fight, according to the N.C. State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology.<\/p>\n

The annual tournament is based in Morehead City, and concluded in June with a marlin weighing 919.9 pounds.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the strangest thing you\u2019ve found sampling a blue marlin? The resounding answer from the sampling team was a bill from a billfish that was found inside the winning marlin\u2019s head,\u201d center officials reported in a July 9 news release.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must have had a liking for eating billfish, because it also had two more in its stomach!\u201d<\/p>\n

A portable x-ray machine was used to figure out \u201chow the bill lodged in the head.\u201d It revealed the bony spike had likely been stuck there for two months, and the wound was healing around it, officials said.<\/p>\n

Read more Grim discovery made after driver is accused of following woman, NC sheriff says<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cResearchers don\u2019t yet know the species of the billfish but since there was still tissue on the bone of the bill, they are hoping to do some genetic testing to determine the species,\u201d CMAST said.<\/p>\n

Testing of stomach contents in years past has also revealed the winning marlin ate mackerel, dolphinfish, papered nautilus and a wahoo, the center says.<\/p>\n

The center has partnered with the tournament for 24 years, collecting samples that are shared with labs studying billfish across the country, including Stanford University, Texas A&M University and the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, officials said.<\/p>\n

Among the parts sampled: intestines, muscles, liver, intestines, blood and \u201cthe whole eye of each marlin,\u201d CMAST says.<\/p>\n

Blue marlin can reach 14 feet in length<\/a> and 2,000 pounds, and they migrate seasonally along the coast to stay in warm waters, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.<\/p>\n

Read more NC jury awards $18.2 million after finding WakeMed doctor negligent in boy\u2019s birth<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winning fish caught during North Carolina\u2019s annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament are proving to be full of surprises for researchers collecting samples.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nUnexpected finds made in blue marlin caught during NC tournament, scientists say - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3353\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unexpected finds made in blue marlin caught during NC tournament, scientists say - 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