Color of body is dark blue to chocolate brown on the back, shading to silvery along sides, and then white on the underbelly. Body is marked with faint vertical bars. Many small, black spots on dorsal fin. Upper jaw is elongated in the shape of a spear. The body is covered with embedded scales with a single sharp point. The tips of the first dorsal, pectoral, and first anal fins are rounded. The lateral line curves above the pectoral fin, then goes in a straight line to the base of the tail. This species of marlin is the smallest, tends to be lighter in color, and displays more green than other marlins.