Calories, kcal:

Proteins, g:

Carbohydrates, g:

The swordfish or swordfish is a predatory, large and fast-moving fish that belongs to the family Swordfish detachment Perciformes. The habitat of this species of fish includes mainly subtropical and tropical waters. IN summer time you can meet swordfish in the Azov and Black Seas. Although this predatory fish is a delicacy for our country, it can still be found in grocery stores.

The swordfish is also called the swordfish, both names were given to the fish due to the original appearance - the presence of a sword-shaped process above the upper jaw. We note a number of other features of the fish: a powerful sickle-shaped tail, the absence of scales on an elongated body, and the special structure of the fins. All of the above characteristics lead to the fact that the swordfish can move at speeds of over 100 km/h, and it is the fastest creature on Earth. The weight of an adult individual is on average 400 kg, there are also especially large ones weighing about 600 kg, with a total body length of 5 meters (calorizator). The back of the swordfish is painted dark blue, the sides are blue, and the belly is silver. It is worth noting that the swordsman sometimes behaves strangely and rams boats and even large ships; scientists cannot justify such behavior.

Scientists are aware of the existence in nature of several species of swordtails, but outwardly and in terms of basic biological parameters they are similar, the main difference is only the habitat. The swordfish is cosmopolitan, as it is distributed over a fairly large sea area.

calories in swordfish

The calorie content of swordfish is 144 kcal per 100 grams of product.

The composition and useful properties of swordfish

Swordfish, like many other types of fish, has a rich chemical composition, which includes many useful elements for humans, and also contains a small amount of calories. Swordfish meat is classified as dietary and very useful product nutrition. In the biochemical composition of the meat of this predatory fish includes vitamins, and, as well as the following trace elements:,

Swordfish, or swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is a representative of a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the perch-like order and the family of swordfish, or Xiphiidae (Xiphiidae). Large-sized fish are able to maintain the temperature of the eyes and brain much higher than the temperature regime. environment due to endothermy. An active predator has a wide range of food, makes fairly long migrations and is a popular object of sport fishing.

Description of the swordfish

First appearance swordfish received a scientific description back in 1758. Carl Linnaeus on the pages of the tenth volume of the book "The System of Nature" described the representatives of this species, but the binomen has not received changes to this day.

Appearance

The fish has a powerful and elongated, cylindrical body in cross section with a narrowing towards the tail. The so-called "spear" or "sword", which is an elongated upper jaw, is formed by the nasal and premaxillary bones, and is also characterized by a noticeable flattening in the dorsoventral direction. The lower location of the mouth part of the non-retractable type is characterized by the absence of teeth on the jaws. The eyes are large, and the gill membranes are not attached to the intergill space. Gill rakers are also absent, so the gills themselves are represented by modified plates connected into a single mesh plate.

This is interesting! It should be noted that the larval stage and young swordfish have significant differences from adults in terms of scaly cover and morphology, and gradually occurring during appearance changes are completed only after the fish reaches a meter length.

The pair of dorsal fins is distinguished by a significant gap between the bases. The very first dorsal fin has a short base, starts directly above the posterior region of the head, and contains from 34 to 49 soft-type rays. The second fin is noticeably smaller than the first, shifted far to the caudal part, consisting of 3-6 soft rays. Hard rays are also completely absent inside the pair of anal fins. The pectoral fins of the swordfish are sickle-shaped, while the pelvic fins are absent. The caudal fin is strongly notched and month-shaped.

The back of the swordfish and its upper body are dark brown in color, but this color gradually fades to a light brown hue in the abdominal region. The membranes on all fins are brown or dark brown in varying degrees of intensity. Juveniles are distinguished by the presence transverse stripes, which completely disappear in the process of growth and development of fish. The maximum length of an adult swordfish is 4.5 m, but most often does not exceed three meters. The weight of such marine oceanodromous pelagic fish can reach 600-650 kg.

Character and lifestyle

The swordfish is deservedly considered to be the fastest and most agile swimmer of all currently existing on the planet. sea ​​depth inhabitants. Such an oceanodromous pelagic fish is quite capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km / h, which is due to the presence of certain features in the body structure. Thanks to the so-called "sword", the indicators of frontal resistance are noticeably reduced during the movement of fish in a dense water medium. Among other things, adult swordfish have a characteristic torpedo-shaped and streamlined body, completely devoid of scales.

Swordfish, along with its closest relatives, have gills, which are not only respiratory organs, but also serve as a kind of hydrojet engine for the marine life. Through such gills, a continuous water flow is carried out, and its speed is regulated by the process of narrowing or expanding the gill slits.

This is interesting! Swordfish are able to make long voyages, but in calm weather they prefer to rise to the surface of the water, where they swim, exposing their dorsal fin. Periodically, the swordfish picks up speed and jumps out of the water, then noisily falling back.

The body of the swordfish has a temperature that is about 12-15 o C higher than the temperature regime of ocean water. It is this feature that ensures the high “starting” readiness of the fish, which allows it to suddenly develop significant speed in the process of hunting or, if necessary, to evade enemies.

How long do swordfish live

Female swordfish tend to be noticeably larger than male swordfish, and also differ in longer duration life. On average, representatives of the species of ray-finned fish, belonging to the perch-like order and the swordfish family, live no more than ten years.

Range, habitats

Swordfish are common in the waters of all the world's seas and oceans, with the exception of the Arctic latitudes. Large oceanodromous pelagic fish are found in the Atlantic Ocean, in the waters of Newfoundland and Iceland, in the North and mediterranean seas, as well as near the coastal zone of the Azov and Black Seas. Active fishing for swordfish is carried out in the waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, where the total number of representatives of the swordfish family is now quite high.

Swordfish Diet

Swordfish are among the active opportunistic predators and have a fairly wide range of food. Since all currently existing swordfish are inhabitants of the epi- and mesopelagic zone, they make constant and vertically directed migrations in the water column. Swordfish move from the surface of the water to a depth of eight hundred meters, and are also able to move between open waters and coastal areas. It is this feature that determines the diet of swordfish, which includes large or small animals from near-surface waters, as well as bottom fish, cephalopods, and fairly large pelagic fish.

This is interesting! The difference between swordtails and marlin, using their "spear" solely for the purpose of stunning prey, is the defeat of the victim with a "sword". In the stomachs of caught swordfish, there are squids and fish that are literally cut into several pieces or have traces of damage inflicted with the help of a "sword".

The diet of a significant number of swordfish inhabiting the coastal waters of eastern Australia, until some time ago, was characterized by the predominance of cephalopods. To date, the composition of the diet of the swordfish differs in individuals that live in coastal and open waters. In the first case, fish predominate, and in the second, cephalopods.

Reproduction and offspring

Data on the maturation of swordfish are very scarce and very contradictory, which is most likely due to differences in individuals living in different areas. Swordtails spawn in the upper water layers at temperature regime at the level of 23°C and salinity in the range of 33.8-37.4 ‰.

The spawning season of swordfish in the equatorial waters of the World Ocean is observed year-round. in the waters caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico, breeding peaks between April and September. IN pacific ocean spawning takes place in spring summer period.

Swordtail caviar is pelagic, with a diameter of 1.6-1.8 mm, completely transparent, with a fairly large fat drop. Potential fertility rates are very high. The length of the hatching larva is approximately 0.4 cm. The larval stage of the swordfish has a unique shape and undergoes a long metamorphosis. Since such a process is continuous and takes a long period of time, it is not distinguished into separate phases. The hatched larvae have a poorly pigmented body, a relatively short snout, and peculiar spiny scales are scattered all over the body.

This is interesting! Swordfish are born with a round head, but gradually, in the process of growth and development, the head becomes pointed and becomes very similar to a “sword”.

As active development and growth, the jaws of the larvae lengthen, but remain equal in length. Further growth processes are accompanied by more rapid development it is the upper jaw, due to which the head of such a fish acquires the appearance of a “spear” or “sword”. Individuals with a body length of 23 cm have one dorsal fin extending along the body and one anal fin, and the scales are arranged in several rows. Also, such juveniles have a lateral sinuous line, and teeth are located on the jaws.

In the process of further growth, the anterior part of the dorsal fin increases in height. After the body length of the swordfish reaches 50 cm, the second dorsal fin is formed, connected to the first. Scales and teeth, as well as the lateral line, completely disappear only in immature individuals that have reached a meter in length. At this age, only the anterior enlarged part of the dorsal first fin, the second shortened dorsal fin and a pair of anal fins, which have a clear separation from each other, are preserved in swordtails.

One of the great inhabitants of the depths of the oceans is a predatory swordfish or swordfish (from the Latin “Xiphias gladius”).

It belongs to the ray-finned fish from the perch-like order. Belongs to the swordfish family and the swordfish genus. Swordtails are the only species in their genus.

What does a swordfish look like?

As a rule, an individual of this species grows up to about 3 meters, but some swordtails grow up to 4.5 meters in length. One fish weighs an average of about 400 kilograms (the largest of the caught individuals weighed 537 kilograms).

Females are usually larger than males and have a longer lifespan. Swordtails live for about 10 years.

Outwardly, the predator looks like a sharp deadly weapon, thanks to which the species got its exact name. The bones of the upper jaw, which resemble the blade of a sword, usually reach a length of 1–1.5 meters.

An oblong snout with maxillary bones with a good fat layer is the main weapon of swordfish. They will easily pierce metal with a thickness of 2.5 centimeters or a board with a thickness of 40 centimeters without getting seriously injured.

However, if the "sword" is firmly stuck in the board, then the predator will not be able to get out and will die. The impact force of the swordfish is over 4 tons.

Swordtails have a wide mouth that goes behind the eyes. Young fish grow teeth, but in adulthood they lose them. Very small individuals, when they are still less than 1 meter in length, have spikes on the body. The gill filaments of the swordfish resemble a plate in the form of a grid.

These fish do not have scales, but they have a streamlined, highly developed body and a crescent-shaped tail. This structure allows swordtails to reach speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour, which makes them faster than the most nimble cheetahs.

In color, individuals of the species in question are usually brown, but cast in dark blue. The sides have bluish metallic tones, and the belly shimmers with silvery hues. The eyes are bright blue. Young predators have stripes on the body, but with age they disappear.

Swordfish lack pelvic fins, but dorsal, pectoral, and lateral fins. However, they are not continuous and are delimited into 2 parts. The front fin on the back is high, black, has a triangular shape and starts from the back of the head. And the rear dorsal fin is located near the tail. The rest of the fins are brownish with lines of black tones.

Most fish maintain their body temperature above the temperature of the water that surrounds them, but swordtails do not have this ability. But they have an organ that warms the blood 15 degrees higher than the temperature in the environment. This blood enters the brain and eyes, which allows swordfish to remain invisible and at the same time find victims at great depths.

Where do swordtails live?

The Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans are where swordfish can be found. That is, they prefer warm waters.

During mass feeding migrations, these predators can also be found in cold waters with a temperature of about 15 degrees, but for reproduction they need an ambient temperature of about 23 degrees.

Swordfish individuals usually do not swim to the shore, living at depths of 600-800 meters (the maximum can sink to 2800 meters). These predators are solitary, they do not gather in flocks and keep a distance of 10-100 meters from each other.


What do swordtails eat?

This predator feeds on almost any fish and shellfish that it meets on the way. It hunts both small individuals on the surface of the ocean and large fish (for example, sharks) at great depths.

As a rule, the diet of swordfish includes a large number of squid, tuna, mackerel, perch, herring and crustaceans. The predator absorbs its prey entirely or cuts it into pieces with its “sword”.

How do swordtails reproduce?

In equatorial waters and the western part Atlantic Ocean swordtails can breed all year round. In the waters of the Pacific Ocean, only when the water warms up to 23 degrees, that is, in summer or spring. And individuals that live in the Indian Ocean and the eastern Atlantic spawn in November-February.

Swordfish are usually fertile individuals, and reach sexual maturity at 5 years. The larger the female, the more eggs she throws. For example, with a weight of approximately 70 kilograms, a fish will bring about 16 million eggs.

The eggs themselves are surrounded by a fatty surface and reach a diameter of up to 1.5 millimeters. They are pelagic, that is, they develop under the surface of the ocean without sinking to the bottom.

Swordfish fry do not have a "sword", but they have many teeth and spikes throughout the body. The fins on the back and sides are still solid. At first, small swordfish feed on zooplankton and live on the surface of the water, never going below 3 meters.

Young swordfish begin to eat small fish when they reach a length of 1 centimeter. Predators grow quickly and already a year have a length of half a meter, and by the age of three they grow up to 1 meter.

The main enemies of the swordsmen

Although swordfish have good weapon to defend and hunt, and they have their enemies.

Among mammals, killer whales prey on swordtails, and among predators, for example, the blue-gray shark. Often adults give a worthy rebuff to opponents, but young and inexperienced swordfish can become easy prey.

However, the most important enemy of the swordfish is man. To catch a predator, the trolling method and the pelagic longline are used. Meat, for which they catch swordfish, - real delicacy. It is tasty and does not have small bones and fishy aftertaste. It can be reddish or white - the second is considered more tasty and refined.

5 Fascinating Facts About Swordfish

  1. Thanks to its great strength, fast speed and great stamina swordfish is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous predators of the world's waters.
  2. It is not known why swordtails beat ships and vessels. According to one version, this is due to natural aggression towards everything around, and according to the second, they confuse ships with big fish ocean.
  3. These predators often prey on whales, although they do not eat their meat.
  4. Anglers all over the world are actively harvesting swordfish meat, but scientists do not worry about their population, because they have good fecundity.
  5. The aggressive temper of the swordfish was well described by E. Hemingway in the work "The Old Man and the Sea".


Photo of swordfish

Big hello to all readers of the site "Me and the World!" Today we will talk again about the predators of the ocean - swordfish (see photo below). Interesting facts about the ancient inhabitant, you will find in the article.

Unusual inhabitants of the depths

Description The swordfish or swordfish is a large predator of the species of ray-finned fish, up to 4.5 meters in length and more than 400 kg of weight. The most big fish was caught weighing 650 kg. The sizes of females are larger and they live much longer, on average 10-12 years.

Unusual appearance and gave the name to the inhabitant of the ocean: the outgrowth on the jaw with its size and structure just resembles an ancient dangerous weapon - a sword. It is interesting that such a “nose” easily pierces metal 2.5 cm thick and wood 40 cm in diameter. At the same time, they manage with minimal injuries and die only if the “sword” gets stuck in the place of the ram. Another name translated from Greek sounds like a "short double-edged sword."


Teeth grow only in young individuals, adult swordtails completely lose them, as well as spikes on the body, which are only found in fish up to 1 meter long. Large mouth and bright blue eyes.

There are no scales on the muscular body at all, and it resembles a torpedo in shape, and the tail is a moon. This structure allows you to develop speed in the water when attacking up to 130 km / h. Many ichthyologists believe that such a speed of overcoming the water column violates all the laws of physics and mechanics.


Swordfish have the ability to warm the area around the eyes and brain 15 degrees higher than the temperature of the water around them. Going down to the depths to hunt and thus increasing visual acuity, they go unnoticed, and they themselves see everything that happens around.

The photos show everything distinctive features fish.

Where can you meet swordsmen

The habitat is quite large. These are tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific oceans. And although the fish is not considered marine, but during the migration period it swims to the Marble, Black and Seas of Azov. Swordtails that have grown fat can also be found in the cool waters of the Atlantic and even off the coast of Norway. But the fish swim in to breed warm waters with temperatures up to +23 degrees.


Their habitat is open spaces in the ocean at depths of 600-800 meters, descending for prey to a depth of sometimes up to 2.5 km. These fish do not gather in flocks, but live and hunt separately. And even when they massively migrate for food, they keep a distance from each other from 10 to 100 m.


Prey of a dangerous predator

Swordfish is an excellent hunter, therefore it feeds on almost everything that the world's oceans are rich in. It hunts small and medium fish and can even cope with large predators such as sharks. The usual diet includes mollusks, squid, crustaceans and various types of fish. Swordtails pierce or cut their prey in half.



Information about the enemies of the swordfish is also available, despite the fact that these fish have a formidable murder weapon. Killer whales and black-nosed sharks attack them, although they receive a worthy rebuff. For the sake of delicious meat, people have been catching swordfish for a long time, because their meat is very tasty without small bones. It even differs in color, depending on what the fish ate. White meat is considered the most refined.


In the pictures in many books there are images of swordfish ramming fishing boats and boats. It is simply not clear to many why the fish does this: it either splashes out its aggressiveness, or takes it for a shark or killer whale, because sometimes swordtails even attack whales (although they don’t eat their meat).


What a swordfish looks like we described in the text, and also presented some Interesting Facts about this ocean predator. Share the link to the article with your friends in social networks. See you next time on our website!

One of the most large inhabitants the depths of the oceans is the swordfish. Thanks to the development high speed and endurance predator is considered dangerous. There are known cases of fish attacks on ships for unknown reasons. A threat to her is a person. Delicious meat makes you catch a predator in any way, but due to fertility, the population of individuals does not decrease.

Meri fish is considered dangerous marine life

Description of the predator

The fish belongs to the ray-finned species from the perch-like order. large predator frightens menacing appearance and strength.

Another name for predator swordfish. An individual of this species grows up to three meters in length, but some reach 4.5 m. The approximate weight of one fish is 450 kg. The world record is a fish weighing 537 kg, caught on the shores of Chile.

The life expectancy of a predator is 10 years. Females are larger than males and live longer by 5 years.

The swordfish looks like a sharp dangerous weapon. Due to the menacing appearance, she received the appropriate name. Bone formations of the upper jaw, similar to a sword blade, reach 2 m in length. The flat outgrowth frightens with a frightening look. There is an opinion that with the help of a sharp weapon on the body, the swordsman stuns other predators, but at the same time he does not suffer.

The oblong snout, in which most of it goes behind the eyes, is the main weapon of the swordfish. Predators pierce 3 cm thick metal without any problems. The impact force is over 4 tons. If the fish cannot get back out of the board, it will die.

Swordtails do not have scales, but their body is well developed and takes on a streamlined shape. The tail of the fish is in the form of a month. There are no fins on the belly, but they are on the back, chest and side. On the back is a large front fin, starting from the back of the head. The back is located at the tail. This structure allows the swordfish to reach speeds of up to 130 km / h, which makes it faster than a cheetah.

Layers of fat play the role of a shock-absorbing spring. Thanks to this, an individual, hitting an obstacle at a speed of more than 100 km / h, remains unharmed or gets off with minor injuries.


The body of the swordfish is well developed, there are no scales on it

The body of the individual is brown with a dark blue tint. The sides are cast with a metallic, and the belly with a silvery tint. Blue eyes stand out against the general background. In young animals, stripes are located on the body, which are lost over time.

Swordfish do not maintain body temperature above water, but have some feature - have an ocular organ that warms the blood. Blood flows to the brain stem and eyes, which allows the fish to go unnoticed at great depths of the ocean.

The fry grow teeth, but over time they lose them. A fish that has not reached 1 m in length has spikes on its body. The gill muscles are like a mesh.

Habitat and food

The swordfish lives where warm climate. She prefers the tropical and temperate latitudes, so it can be found in the depths of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. Favorable water temperature:

  • for adults - 18-22 ° C;
  • for fry and eggs - 24 °C.

In the warm summer period, the fish swim away to cold waters, and when the temperature drops, they return back. Individuals do not swim to the shores. Swordfish lives at a depth of up to 800 m, but can sink to 2800 m. Predators do not group in flocks, preferring loneliness. They maintain a distance of 10-100 m between themselves. The fish often bask in the water under the rays of the sun and ventilate the dorsal fin.


Swordfish can dive to a depth of 2800 meters

Swordtail Food:

  • tuna;
  • mackerel;
  • herring;
  • squids;
  • crustaceans;

Swordfish is found where more favorable climate. She hunts on the surface of the water for small individuals, feasts on large inhabitants of great depths, for example, sharks.

Danger for swordfish

Although the predator has the perfect weapon for hunting and self-defense, it has enemies. Mature individuals can fight back, while inexperienced and young ones become easy prey for killer whales and blue-gray sharks. However, the most dangerous enemy is man, since this is a valuable commercial fish. Special and professional swordfish hunting is carried out in pelagic longlines. Fishing countries:

  • Japan;
  • USA;
  • Italy;
  • Argentina;
  • Spain;
  • Canada;
  • countries of Latin America;
  • Korea, China;
  • Philippines;
  • Mexico.

Delicious boneless meat is considered a real delicacy, for which anglers go into the ocean. The color of the meat of a caught individual depends on the food that she has eaten. For example, if shrimp make up the majority of the diet, then the color becomes orange. White meat is in the greatest demand, more like a natural color. Due to the significant content of organometallic cations, pregnant women and children should not eat fish.

The largest catches are observed in the northwestern and central-eastern Pacific Ocean, the western Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the southwestern Atlantic. Mechenos is a favorite delicacy of the Sicilians. The fish is also an object of sport fishing. In some countries (for example, in Cuba) competitions are held to catch this type of predator with a spinning rod.

Ichthyologists study the issue of aggressiveness of individuals. The predator attacks ships, rams through boats and boats. In the history of shipping, on paper, many cases of ships sinking due to the destruction of their hulls by the swordfish are recorded. An interesting fact describes the story when, in the early 60s of the XX century, a predator attacked an American schooner. The blow was so strong that the fish flew up to the very eyes into the hull of the ship. Pulling out the sword, the predator went into the depths, and water entered the resulting hole. The team managed to escape thanks to the inclusion of an emergency pump.

During the same period, tuna fishing took place in the Marshall Islands. A large individual with a sharp nose, similar to a sword, got into the Japanese schooner. The sailors could not escape, the ship sank.

Population increase

There are many features in the reproduction of fish. Due to the high fecundity, the swordfish population does not decrease even as a result of the catch.

The period of sexual development

Information on the sexual maturation of swordfish is scarce and contradictory, which reflects the different rates of its growth and development in different parts range. Females are fertile and reach sexual maturity at 5 years of age. From that moment on, they are able to reproduce.
In the equatorial waters and in the west of the Atlantic Ocean, where the swordfish lives, it brings offspring for a whole year. In the Pacific Ocean, individuals breed when the water reaches 23 ° C. The inhabitants of the Indian Ocean spawn from November to February.


Swordfish reach sexual maturity at 5 years old.

Reproduction of individuals

Swordfish reproduces by external sexual method, in which the eggs are fertilized while in the water. The larger the female, the more eggs she hatches. For example, with a weight of 70 kg, it will bring 16 million eggs. Caviar grains are shrouded in a fatty layer. They reach 1.5 mm in diameter, develop under the water surface without sinking to the bottom.

The main feature of fry is the absence of a sword and the presence of teeth. A small fish is born with a short snout and spiky scales. Average fry growth rates are 1/8 to ¼ inch per day. The little swordsman looks defenseless until he reaches maturity. At first, the young feed on zooplankton, but soon they begin to eat small fish. Due to the fertility of females, the fish population does not decrease.

Swordfish is distinguished by swiftness and agility. Attacking a school of fish, he becomes a real hunter, ruthlessly cracking down on prey.