Swordfish

Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. These fish are found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and can typically be found from near the surface to a depth of 550 m (1,800 ft). They commonly reach 3 m (9.8 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14.9 ft) in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. They are the sole member of their family, Xiphiidae. 2Taxonomy and etymology The swordfish is named after its bill, which resembles a sword (respectively, from Greek ξιφίας "swordfish", itself from ξίφος xiphos, and Latin gladius, both meaning "sword"). This makes it superficially similar to other billfish such as marlin but, upon examination, their physiology is quite different and they are members of different families. 2Description They commonly reach 3 m (9.8 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14.9 ft) in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. The International Game Fish Association's all-tackle angling record for a swordfish was a 536 kg (1,182 lb) specimen taken off Chile in 195