Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
Also known as: Broadbill, Swordfish Sucker, Broadbill Swordfish, Sword Fish
About This Species
This large, powerful pelagic fish inhabits open ocean waters worldwide, typically ranging from the surface down to considerable depths and undertaking seasonal migrations that track warmer water and prey concentrations of squid and smaller fish. It is rarely seen by casual observers, being most commonly encountered by offshore anglers or in surface sightings during calm conditions when individuals bask or feed near the top.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Its Near Threatened status reflects pressure from commercial and recreational fishing, so any encounter, whether angling or incidental sighting, warrants caution and adherence to local catch and size regulations, which vary considerably by country and fishery.
- Given the species' size and power, anyone handling a hooked individual should prioritise safety and, where regulations allow, prompt release of undersized or non-target catches.
NTNaNPerciformesXiphiidae
Seasonal Activity
175,994 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- NaN
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Xiphiidae
Photo
(c) Jon McIntyre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jon McIntyre
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.