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Swordfishes: Swordfish

Family Xiphiidae, SWORDFISHES
Xiphias gladius

Illustrations and Copyright by Diane Rome Peebles
Illustrations are for viewing purposes only.

Description: color of back variable, black, grayish blue, brown, metallic purple, or bronze; sides dusky; underbelly dirty white; long, flat, sword-like upper jaw; lacks scales, teeth, and pelvic fins; single keel on each side of body in front of tail; first dorsal fin high, rigid and short; large eyes.

Similar Fish: no close resemblance to other billfishes.

Where found: OFFSHORE species worldwide in temperate and tropic waters; known to frequent depths of 400 to 500 fathoms; also has been seen basking at the surface.

Size: once averaged 200 pounds but overharvest has reduced size of commercially caught swordfish to average of 48 inches.

*Florida Record: 612 lbs., 12 ozs.

Remarks: large swordfish are all females, males seldom exceeding 200 pounds; except when spawning, females believed to prefer water cooler than that favored by males; feeds on squid, octopus, and pelagic fishes of all kinds.

* The Florida records quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's printed publication, Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.