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Swordfish

Fish

The swordfish is a large, fast-swimming predatory fish found in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, named for its long, flat, sword-like bill formed from an extension of the upper jaw, used to slash through schools of prey fish and squid before circling back to consume the injured or stunned victims. It is among the fastest fish in the ocean, with a streamlined, scaleless body as an adult and a highly efficient circulatory adaptation that keeps its eyes and brain warmer than the surrounding water, sharpening its vision during deep, cold dives in pursuit of prey. Swordfish are solitary, highly migratory fish that can dive to great depths during the day and rise closer to the surface at night, and they are a major target of commercial and recreational fisheries worldwide, with some regional stocks subject to careful management following historical overfishing concerns.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Carnivore 1
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. They commonly reach 3 m (10 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. 1
Scientific Name
Xiphias gladius 1
Conservation Status
Near Threatened 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Perciformes, Taxa
Source Swordfish (Wikidata)

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Swordfish (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Albania, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Algeria, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Angola, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Antigua and Barbuda, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Argentina, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Australia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Bahamas, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Bangladesh, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Barbados, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Belgium, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Belize, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Benin, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Brazil, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Bulgaria, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Cabo Verde, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Canada, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Chile, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: China, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Colombia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Costa Rica, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Cote d'Ivoire, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Cuba, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Cyprus, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Democratic Republic of the Congo, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Denmark, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Djibouti, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Dominica, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Dominican Republic, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Ecuador, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Egypt, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Eritrea, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Federated States of Micronesia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Fiji, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: France, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Gabon, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Georgia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Germany, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Ghana, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Grenada, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Madagascar, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Republic of the Congo, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: South Africa, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Spain, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: United Arab Emirates, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: United Kingdom, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Western Sahara, found in there.
Sources
1. Swordfish (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead sentence, scientific name in parentheses
    The swordfish (Xiphias gladius), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, sword-like, pointed bill.
  • Description section, physical appearance sentences
    Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. They commonly reach 3 m (10 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight.
  • Lead section
    They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category
  • explicitly described as large highly migratory predatory fish
  • Speciesbox infobox, conservation status parameter
    status = NT
  • In Biome: Marine, Wikipedia 'Swordfish': found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. Swordfish (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): near threatened.
  • Child Taxon Of: Perciformes, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
Wikidata: Swordfish
Wikidata Q164327, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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