Swordfish fact sheet

Xiphias gladius | Swordfish

The sworfish has an elongated snout, like a sword. Its back has a dark brown or black colouration and the belly is greyish white. It is the only member of the Xiphiidae family and Xiphias gender. They are found in tropical and temperate oceans around the world. In Azores the high catch season for swordfish occurs in the Autumn (September and November). Although they can be abudant, swordfish are not usually caught by sport fishermen. They of more importance to commercial fishermen who usually catch them at night and rarely during the day. Commercial fishermen in the Azores are known to occasionally catch large specimens of more than 600 pounds. We can find this species in the epipelagic and mesopelagic zones (from 0 to 800m).

Length: 4,3 m (max)

Weight: 540kg – 650kg (max)

Diet: Cephalopod, crustaceans and fishes

Longevity: 17 years (max)

Reproduction: Oviparous with external fertilization

Longevity: 17 years

Conservation Status: Overfished

In other languages
Portuguese: Espadarte
Spanish: Pez espada
French: Espadon
Italian: Pesce spada
German: Schwertfisch
Dutch: Zwaardvis
Swedish: Svärdfisk
Norwegian: Sverdfisk 
Danish: Sværdfisk
Finnish: Miekkakala
Polish: Miecznik
Russian: Меч-рыба