Details
Xiphias gladius
The swordfish is a large open-ocean fish with an extended swordlike upper jaw. Most active around twilight, it hunts fishes and squid alone across broad seas.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It ranges through open waters of the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean. It uses both surface and deeper layers, often moving upward around night and twilight.
Length 200-300 cm; weight 50 kg-300 kg. The upper jaw forms a long flattened sword, and adults have little visible scale cover or pelvic fins. A muscular body and large tail support long-distance travel.
Crepuscular activity is strong, and adults usually roam alone. They move through different temperature layers and can warm the eyes and brain for deep hunting.
A carnivore, it eats oceanic fishes and squid. The bill may slash or stun prey before the fish is swallowed.
Adults spawn in warm waters by releasing eggs into the sea. Eggs and larvae drift before juveniles grow into wide-ranging oceanic fish.
It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.
