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367 Featured Specimen
Swordfish

Details

Swordfish

Xiphias gladius

Size
2–3 m · 50–300 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Crepuscular
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan
9–15 years

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.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
Pacific OceanPacific OceanPacific OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanIndian Ocean

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

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.

Appearance

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.

Behavior

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.

Feeding

A carnivore, it eats oceanic fishes and squid. The bill may slash or stun prey before the fish is swallowed.

Reproduction

Adults spawn in warm waters by releasing eggs into the sea. Eggs and larvae drift before juveniles grow into wide-ranging oceanic fish.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.