Swordfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swordfish |
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Xiphiidae
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Xiphias
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| Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758
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Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are amazing ocean creatures. They are also known as broadbills because of their long, flat, pointed snout that looks like a sword. These fish are very large and travel long distances across the ocean. They are also predators, meaning they hunt other animals for food.
Swordfish are a popular fish for sport fishing, but they can be hard to catch. As they grow up, they lose all their teeth and scales. You can find swordfish in warm and mild parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They usually live from the ocean surface down to about 550 meters (1,800 feet) deep.
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What Do Swordfish Look Like?
Swordfish are long and have a round body. They commonly grow to about 3 meters (10 feet) long. The biggest swordfish ever reported was 4.55 meters (15 feet) long and weighed 650 kilograms (1,430 pounds)! Female swordfish are usually bigger than males. Swordfish found in the Pacific Ocean tend to be larger than those in the Atlantic or Mediterranean Sea.
These fish usually become adults when they are 4 to 5 years old. Scientists believe they can live for at least 9 years. Some studies have found swordfish that were even older, like a 16-year-old female and a 12-year-old male.
Special Eyes and Brain
Swordfish are mostly cold-blooded animals, like most fish. However, they have a special ability! They have unique organs near their eyes that can heat up their eyes and brain. These organs can make their eyes and brain 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (18 to 27 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the water around them.
This special heating helps them see much better, especially when they are hunting in the deep, dark ocean. Out of over 25,000 types of fish, only 22 are known to have this amazing heat-saving ability. This group includes swordfish, marlin, tuna, and some types of sharks.
How Swordfish Behave
Many people think swordfish use their "sword" to spear their prey. But actually, they use it to slash or hit their prey. This helps to injure the prey, making it easier for the swordfish to catch it. Swordfish are also incredibly fast and agile in the water, which helps them catch their food. They are definitely among the fastest fish in the ocean!
Swordfish like water temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius (64 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit). However, they can live in a wider range of temperatures, from 5 to 27 degrees Celsius (41 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit). These fish travel long distances and often move to colder areas to find food during the summer.
Swordfish do not swim in large groups or schools. They usually swim alone or in very loose groups, staying about 10 meters (33 feet) away from other swordfish. Sometimes, you might see them near the surface of the water, with their top fin sticking out. Boaters often say this is a beautiful sight. Swordfish are also known for their powerful jumps out of the water, which is called breaching. They might do this to shake off small pests like remoras or lampreys that attach to their bodies.
What Do Swordfish Eat?
Swordfish eat every day, usually at night. They swim up closer to the surface of the water to find smaller fish. Adult swordfish eat many different kinds of fish that live in the open ocean. These include mackerel, barracudinas, silver hake, rockfish, herring, and lanternfishes. They also eat fish that live near the bottom of the ocean, along with squid and crustaceans (like crabs and shrimp).
In the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, scientists looked at what was in the stomachs of 168 swordfish. They found that 82% had eaten squid and 53% had eaten fish. These fish included gadids, scombrids, butterfish, bluefish, and sand lance. When swordfish catch large prey, they usually slash it with their sword. Smaller prey are swallowed whole.
Swordfish as Food
Swordfish is a very popular fish to eat. Since swordfish are so big, their meat is usually sold as thick steaks. These steaks are often cooked on a grill. The color of the meat can change depending on what the fish ate. For example, swordfish caught off the east coast of North America often have pinker meat.
However, some organizations, like the United States Food and Drug Administration, warn people about eating too much swordfish. This is because swordfish can have higher levels of a substance called methylmercury. It's important to be aware of this when choosing seafood.
Images for kids
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A Felucca boat used to hunt swordfish in the Strait of Messina
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Fried swordfish collars
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A swordfish dish in Kos
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See also
In Spanish: Pez espada para niños
