Facts about Swordfish
- 09
Swordfish migrate across entire ocean basins, with some individuals traveling over 9,000 miles annually between spawning grounds in the Atlantic and feeding areas in colder northern waters.
- 08
Unlike most fish, swordfish possess a specialized heating organ called the heater organ that warms their brain and eyes up to 14 degrees Celsius above surrounding water temperature.
- 07
Swordfish eyes are among the largest of any fish, with some specimens possessing eyes weighing up to 3.3 pounds each to aid vision in deep-ocean hunting.
- 06
Male swordfish grow significantly smaller than females, rarely exceeding 4 feet in length while females commonly reach 10 feet or more.
- 05
In commercial fisheries, swordfish were overhunted so severely that populations declined by 90 percent between the 1960s and 1990s before international fishing restrictions helped their recovery.
- 04
A swordfish's bill can account for up to one-third of its total body length, with some specimens reaching over 4 feet in sword-like extension.
- 03
During spawning season, female swordfish can produce up to 29 million eggs, making them among the most prolific fish reproducers in the Atlantic Ocean.
- 02
The swordfish's elongated bill contains electroreceptive organs called ampullae of Lorenzini that detect electrical fields generated by prey fish in murky ocean waters.
- 01
Reaching speeds of 60 miles per hour, the swordfish is one of the ocean's fastest swimmers and can dive to depths exceeding 2,000 feet.