by Phillip Okhotin
Introduction: Abstract: Nothing is more exciting As one of the largest fish in the world, the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is an impressive titan that dwells in most of the world’s oceans and seas. Admired and revered by many cultures, swordfish have been an important source of food and income for people throughout millennia. Biology/Characteristics: to a fisherman when a big, The swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is one powerful fish gets caught and is Being a keystone species, swordfish are one of the top predators in the marine ecosystem that bring balance in the food chain. In the marine food chain, they serve as predators to smaller baitfish and cephalopods as well as prey to apex predators such as sharks and orcas. A sought of the largest and strongest fish found in the landed onto a vessel. The world’s seas and oceans. In the world, there swordfish is one of such massive after species, swordfish are commonly pursued and caught by both commercial and recreational fishing fleets worldwide. Commercial and recreational fishermen eagerly pursue swordfish because of the delicious, firm texture of the flesh and also of the fighting ability the swordfish are three subspecies that occur: “the Atlantic fish that are being targeted by swordfish, Mediterranean swordfish, and the fishermen and puts up a fight the gives. Over the years, the swordfish population globally has been under severe decline due to overfishing and the inability to properly control legal stocks being caught. Luckily many conservation organizations su.ch as IUCN and NOAA witnessed the decline of the swordfish population Pacific swordfish. Of these subspecies, the angler will never forget in his or Pacific swordfish is the largest.” (Robert her lifetime. As one of the most and were able to save this magnificent fish by issuing laws and regulations to prevent overfishing of swordfish. By doing this, the swordfish is in the process of recovery and is no longer threatened with extinction. Cheney, orma.com). A formidable and high-on-demand species of fish, impressive fish, swordfish commonly weigh swordfish are one of the primary anywhere from 50-1,000 lbs and cover 5-13 fish species that are being feet long. When reaching adulthood, the auctioned off and sold to many females are much bigger than males because seafood markets globally. Having of the need to carry tens of thousands of eggs a delicious taste yet firm texture, for spawning. Although similar to marlin and swordfish appear on every menu sailfish, the swordfish is quite different. In in seafood restaurants and on comparison with marlin and sailfish the peoples’ dinner plates. By better swordfish lacks pectoral fins, has a rounded knowing how to limit the amount appearance to its body and “a longer, more of swordfish needed to be caught flattened bill.” (Gardieff, flmnh.ufl.edu/fish and consumed, people can make xiphias gladius). Being a keystone predator, a positive difference by not swordfish are pelagic hunters that prey on exploiting the swordfish small baitfish such as mackerel and sardines populations globally so that as well as cephalopods such as squid and future generations of responsible octopus. While hunting their prey, the fishermen could enjoy catching swordfish display a unique hunting behavior these titanic fish. by slashing their prey with their sword-like bills before eating them. Habitat/Geographic Range: (http://awesomeocean.com/2016/09/14/7- http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/ A migratory species, swordfish dwell in swordfish-facts/) tropical, subtropical and temperate waters 2017/06_02062017_swordfish_efp_tagging.html A swordfish (Xiphias gladius) breaching out of Fisheries: of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans; A swordfish being caught on a long line. the water in full power and grace. Although traditionally caught with however they also live in the “Black Sea, Sea nets and harpoons, swordfish have now been of Azov, Sea of Marmara, and the commonly caught with the use of longlines. Mediterranean Sea.” (fishbase.org). “During Conservation: This is effective because the fishing fleets can the summer, they live in colder waters and Over the past decades, swordfish populations particularly in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans have been in steady decline. cover many miles of line and baited hooks, during the winter in warmer waters.” (Robert What most affected the swordfish populations was that fishermen were catching more juvenile swordfish than mature adults, and which helps out in catching needed numbers Cheney, orma.com). Adapted to also dwell in thus weren’t aware of the importance in releasing the juveniles back into the ocean for them to grow and mature. “While the of swordfish as possible. However, a problem cold waters, swordfish have a specialized harpoon fishery targeted large mature fish, long-liners caught fish (and countless other creatures) indiscriminately, so the with longlining is that other marine wildlife organ in their head that heats the brain and swordfish catch soared because swordfish of every size were being hauled in. There is no way to prevent smaller fish from taking could be accidentally caught. “Bycatch from allows for better blood circulation as the fish the baited hooks; the only restrictions on the fishermen simply prevent them from selling the juveniles commercially.” (Richard this method is very high, and is particularly swims through the water column. “They are Ellis, pg. 208). In finding a solution to better prevent the decline of swordfish, conservation organizations such as NOAA (National worrying because many threatened or uniquely adapted to cold, deep waters by the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), have undertaken important endangered species, such as sharks, turtles presence of specialized tissue near the eyes steps in enforcing quotas and regulations to commercial and recreational fishermen as to how many swordfish could be legally and seabirds, can be accidentally that heats the brain through the tissue’s caught. By enforcing those laws to the fishermen, swordfish have made a tremendous comeback from being overfished and going caught.” (slowfood.com). On the contrary, blood supply, which is a vascular system extinct. fishing for swordfish with the use of harpoons similar to that used to heat and cool the doesn’t pose a big risk on threatened marine bodies of large pelagic fish species such as References: wildlife because the fishermen can visualize tuna.” (marinebio.org). Being a pelagic fish, flmnh.ufl.edu/fish xiphias gladius the swordfish before hurling the harpoon. swordfish can live in any environment in the http://www.orma.com/sea-life/swordfish-facts-swordfish-information/ Being an important economic livelihood for ocean or sea, from the surface down to http://www.fishbase.org/summary/226 fishermen, swordfish play an important role in depths of several thousand feet as they swim http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=240 providing financial profit for the fishermen in long distances to spawn and feed on small http://slowfood.com/slowfish/pagine/eng/pagina.lasso?-id_pg=110 order for them to provide for their families. fish and cephalopods. Ellis, Richard. Swordfish: A Biography of the Ocean Gladiator. The University of Chicago Press, 2013.