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Swordfish
Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758

S. Sek with the Swordfish he caught on a Christmas tree lure 1 km off Bowen Island, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, 2001. Photo © S. Sek. View larger image.

A wound on the side of a Swordfish resulting from the bite of a Cookie-cutter Shark. The fish was caught on longline at a depth between 25 m and 30 m, near the Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. Photo © M. Eusebio. View larger image.

The Swordfish has a very long flattened bill and a strong keel on the caudal peduncle. It has a short-based dorsal fin that is well separated from the second dorsal fin.

This species lacks teeth, scales and pelvic fins.

It is blue to brown above fading to silver or light brown below. The membrane of the first dorsal fin is usually black.

The Swordfish occurs in marine waters worldwide, with the exception of the cold waters of high latitudes.

In Australia the species is known from all marine waters. It is mostly found in deeper water, down to a maximum depth of 650 m, but will sometimes come inshore.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Related links

• View low resolution movie clip of a Swordfish - wmv (54k), Quicktime (112k)
• View high res movie clips on the movies page
• View the Billfishes list

Further reading

1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
2. Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
3. Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
4. Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
5. Nakamura, I. 1985. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 5. Billfishes of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of marlins, sailfishes, spearfishes and swordfishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125 (5): i-iv, 1-65.
6. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.