Swordfish interesting facts for children. Swordfish

Swordfish - large sea ​​predator, living in the warm waters of the subtropics and tropics, the temperature of which does not fall below 18-22 degrees Celsius.

But some individuals are an exception and are found in cooler waters with temperatures up to 5 degrees Celsius. Also, swordfish can live in very warm water, the temperature of which reaches 27 degrees.

This species is capable of long migrations. In summer, fish go to cooler regions, and in winter they swim to warm waters. Swordfish live in water depths of 500-550 meters, but they can dive to greater depths - up to 2.5 kilometers.

Appearance of swordfish

A distinctive feature of this species is a bone growth on the muzzle. This growth is flat and its edges are sharp. Visually, this growth is similar to a sword, hence the name. The length of the growth is one third of the length of the entire body. There is an opinion that with the help of its “sword” the fish stuns other predators without suffering itself. At the base of the growth there are cavities filled with fat; these cavities perform a shock-absorbing function upon impact.

The upper part of the body is bluish in color with a slight red sheen, and the belly is matte blue. The tail is black and blue, the fins are silver.

The body is slightly compressed on the sides, and becomes more round towards the tail. The mouth is large, it even goes behind the eyes. The lower jaw is not elongated. The gills have a different structure from other fish; they have not only longitudinal, but also transverse leaves, so they resemble a net. Swordfish have no scales. Adults have no teeth in their mouths; they grow only in young animals and disappear with age.

The body length is on average 3 meters, and the swordfish weighs about 400 kilograms. But these figures can vary quite a lot; the length of some individuals reaches 4.5 meters, and they weigh 650 kilograms.

The largest swordfish was caught in 1953 near the coast of Chile; it weighed 540 kilograms. The size of representatives of this species is influenced by the habitat region of individuals living in Pacific Ocean, larger than their counterparts living in the Atlantic. The smallest swordfish live in the Mediterranean regions. Males are smaller than females.

The swordfish “wears” it on its face formidable weapon.

Behavior and nutrition of swordfish

Swordfish feed on mackerel, sea bass, herring, tuna, and silver hake. All these fish live in upper layers water. Predators also hunt bottom inhabitants: crayfish and. Moreover, the amount of squid in the diet is quite significant.

The swordfish slashes large prey with its appendage and then swallows it, while small prey is swallowed whole. These predators swim quickly, the speed of 60 kilometers per hour is not the maximum for them, they can accelerate to 80 kilometers per hour.

This fish is a real hunter; it eats crayfish and squid.

Reproduction and lifespan

IN northern regions In the Pacific Ocean, swordfish spawn in the spring and summer, while on the equator the breeding season lasts throughout the year. For spawning, the water depth should be 70-75 meters and the temperature 23 degrees. In the Southern Hemisphere, representatives of the species spawn from November to February. In the western Atlantic and Caribbean Seas, spawning is also largely year-round.

How larger sizes females, the more eggs she brings. One female can bring from 1 to 29 million eggs measuring 1.6-1.8 millimeters. Swordfish eggs are pelagic, that is, they rise to the surface of the water and do not remain at the bottom, like bottom eggs.

These fish begin to reproduce when their body length reaches 1.8-2 meters. These marine inhabitants live on average 10-11 years.

Enemies of swordfish

Since the swordfish is a large predator, then natural enemies he doesn't have much. Among mammals they are hunted

The swordfish, the photo of which is now in front of you, surprises with its unusual appearance. Its impressive difference from other aquatic inhabitants is the long outgrowth of the upper jaw, shaped like a sword.

Because of this feature, the animal got its name - swordfish. The length of the sword-shaped outgrowth is one third of the length of the entire body. It fully lives up to its name, as it is a formidable weapon with which a huge fish defends itself from enemies and cuts or pierces its prey.

Swordfish: photo, description

Swordfish is a very large marine predator that belongs to the order Perciformes and is the only representative of the Swordfish family.

These giants grow up to four meters in length and weigh more than five hundred kilograms; there are some individuals with a body length of more than 4.5 meters and a weight of about 650 kilograms. The raptor's sword is an elongated snout formed by the premaxillary bones in the shape of a sword. The mouth is located below; only young swordtails have teeth. This fish has no scales, its back is dark blue, its sides are gray and blue, and its belly is silver.

Habitat and lifestyle

Swordfish are found in almost all salt water bodies located in tropical and temperate latitudes. Marine swordfish can migrate throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Predators live in waters with a temperature of 18-22 degrees; fry can appear in a warmer environment with a temperature of about 24 degrees. Therefore, fish migrate to summer time into cool waters, and when it gets colder, they return back.

The swordfish lives at a depth of up to six hundred meters, most often it can be found far from the shore. Juveniles search for food near the surface of the water, while adults dive deeper to find food. Food for long-nosed predators are squids, crustaceans and different types fish

Swordtails love to be alone; even spawning time does not force them to get too close to each other. There can be tens of meters between them during this period.

Reproduction

The female swordfish is surprisingly prolific, which is why the population of the animals does not decline, despite the fact that they are constantly hunted by fishermen for their tasty meat. In equatorial latitudes, swordtails spawn throughout the year; in cooler waters, spawning takes place at a temperature of about 24 degrees. The larger and more mature the female, the more eggs she will lay.

Swordfish fry are fundamentally different from their adult parents. They dont have main feature- swords - but they are born with teeth. In addition, the babies have a solid dorsal and anal fin, and also have scales with small spines.

The fry first feed on zooplankton, but such a modest diet does not last very long, and soon the small predators begin to eat small fish OK.

With age, the cubs begin to resemble their fathers and mothers. First, their teeth disappear, then their scales with spines disappear, and the dorsal fin splits into a large anal space. And the most important thing is that a formidable weapon appears - a sword.

Swordfish is an excellent hunter

The swordtail is considered a skilled hunter; nature created him as such from birth. Swordfish has lightning-fast reactions and agility, strong muscles, sharp vision, a face armed with a sword, and an aggressive, evil disposition. This is a real formidable, dangerous, powerful killing machine. The swordfish can pose a threat to the lives of not only its waterfowl neighbors, but also people.

Curious facts

The life of marine inhabitants is very interesting and not fully studied, but you can familiarize yourself with some interesting details about swordtails:

1. There are known cases of swordfish ramming boats with metal plating at great speed. Even tens of centimeters of a wooden body are no obstacle for them.

2. Swordfish often attack whales; this fact is still inexplicable, because swordfish do not eat whale meat.

3. In pursuit of prey, the big-nosed predator can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h. This speed is facilitated by the fish's torpedo-shaped body, crescent-shaped fin, and smooth skin without scales.

4. The swordfish has an organ in the periocular muscles that warms the eyes and brain to a temperature 15 degrees higher than the temperature of the water. Thanks to this feature, the predator is able to perfectly see prey at great depths, although the prey will not be able to notice the impending danger so quickly.

5. A swordfish can easily pierce 2 cm thick iron with its weapon. There are many known cases when, stuck on the side of a ship, a predator cannot pull out a sword, as a result of which it dies.

6. Fat folds play the role of a shock absorber; thanks to this and the special design of the sword, the swordfish, when crashing into an obstacle at a speed above 100 km/h, remains unharmed or with minor injuries.

7. Swordfish have very tasty meat; fried swordfish is considered a delicacy. In Japan, professional catching of these huge marine predators has been established.

Which is also called swordtail (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758) is a predatory marine fish. It belongs to the class ray-finned fish, subclass new-finned fish, infraclass bony fish, spiny-finned superorder, perciforme order, suborder swordfish, family swordfish, genus swordfish ( Xiphias). This is the only species in the genus.

Synonyms:

Phaethonichthys tuberculatus Nichols, 1923

Xiphias estara Phillipps, 1932

Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758

Xiphias emperor(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Xiphias kleinii Suckow, 1799

Xiphias thermomaicus Serbetis, 1951

Swordfish - description, structure, photo

Swordfish is a large inhabitant of the ocean, whose body size is about 3 meters, although some individuals reach a length of 4.55 m. The average weight of swordfish is about 400 kg, and individual individuals can weigh up to 537 kg (that’s how much the fish weighed , which was caught off the coast of Chile in 1953). Females are larger than males and live longer. The name of this unique predator quite accurately reflects its non-standard appearance: the long outgrowth of the maxillary bones in its structure and size really resembles lethal weapon, a combat sword, the length of which is approximately a third of the length of its owner (1-1.5 meters).

The main decoration and weapon of the swordfish is a significantly elongated snout, which is formed by modified maxillary bones and has the appearance of a flattened sharp sword. Interestingly, the swordfish’s weapon easily penetrates 2.5 cm thick metal and a 40-centimeter oak board, but the predator itself receives minimal injuries, and all thanks to the impressive fat layer - a natural shock absorber surrounding the base of the “sword”.

Swordfish die after being rammed only if their sword gets stuck tightly in the side and the predator cannot free itself. Dynamic calculations show that the impact force of an average swordfish is more than 4 tons.

Taken from: www.delphfishing.com

The swordfish's mouth has a lower position, its mouth is wide, extending behind the eyes. Teeth grow exclusively in young fish; mature fish completely lose their teeth. Also, young fish up to 1 meter long have spines on their bodies. The longitudinal and transverse gill filaments of swordfish connect and form a reticular plate.

The muscular, streamlined body of the predator is devoid of scales, and its shape resembles a torpedo. At the end of the caudal peduncle, well-developed crescent-shaped lateral carinae grow on both sides. The tail also has a crescent shape. Thanks to this structure, the speed of a swordfish when attacking can reach 130 km/h. Thus, the swordtail is ahead with its maximum speed at 112 km/h. This speed sea ​​fish, overcoming the resistance of water, puzzles ichthyologists, since it violates all existing laws of physics and mechanics.

Taken from the site: static1.1.sqspcdn.com

The dorsal and lateral fins of swordfish are not solid, like those of most fish, but are delimited by a wide gap into 2 parts. The front high dorsal fin is black, extends from the back of the head and looks like a sharp triangular blade. The remaining fins have Brown color with black and brown stripes. The rear small dorsal fin is located next to the tail symmetrically to the second anal fin. Pectoral fins Swordfish are found closer to the lower part of the body. The swordfish does not have pelvic fins.

The surface of the back of the swordfish is dark brown, but shimmers with a dark blue color, the sides are grayish-brown with a blue metallic tint, and the light brown belly shimmers with a silvery color. Vertical stripes are clearly visible on the body of young individuals, which disappear over time. The fish's eyes are bright blue.

Taken from: www.delphfishing.com

Taken from: www.sportfishingmag.com

Unlike other fish, swordtails cannot maintain a body temperature higher than the temperature of the water around them. But in the swordfish, in the area around the eyes, there is a special organ that can warm the blood flowing to the brain and eyes 15 degrees higher than the temperature environment. Possessing this feature of improved vision, the predator easily finds potential prey at great depths, while remaining unnoticed.

Lifespan

On average, swordfish live for about 10-12 years.

Taken from: www.delphfishing.com

Swordfish is a true marine cosmopolitan that lives in the warm tropical and subtropical waters of the world's oceans: the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. During the period of mass feeding migrations, predators often swim into the waters of temperate latitudes: for example, swordfish were observed in the uncharacteristic Marmara Sea, the Black Sea and Seas of Azov where they end up from the pool Mediterranean Sea. Fat-feeding swordfish are also found in cool areas of the Atlantic off the islands of Newfoundland and Iceland; individual specimens have been recorded in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. Thus, during mass feeding, swordfish can be observed in cool waters with a temperature of about + 12-15 degrees, but reproduction of swordfish is possible only when the water warms up to + 23.5 degrees.

Swordfish live in open ocean spaces far from the shore at a depth of about 600-800 meters, descending into the ocean to a maximum depth of 2878 meters. The swordtail is a solitary hunter, and even during mass migrations to feeding areas, predators do not gather in flocks, but remain at a respectful distance, maintaining 10 to 100 m of personal space.

What does swordfish eat?

Swordfish - dangerous predator and an excellent hunter, the adult diet includes a wide variety of fish and shellfish. Not having any special dietary preferences, swordfish eats almost everything that comes its way. The predator feeds on small species of fish that are found near the surface, medium-sized semi-deep-sea fish, often hunts at considerable depths and easily copes with large predators like. Once off the coast, swordfish do not disdain bottom fish and shellfish. The typical diet of swordfish includes squid (heavily), as well as mackerel, mackerel, herring, tuna, sea bass, anchovies, hake and crustaceans.

Unlike fish from the family of marlin and sailfish, whose spear-shaped outgrowth on the muzzle performs exclusively hydrodynamic functions, the weapon of a swordfish is a real deadly weapon, capable of piercing or cutting a victim in half. Your prey sea ​​swordfish swallows whole or chops into pieces.

Taken from the site: www.georgepoveromo.com

Reproduction of swordfish

Swordfish that live in equatorial waters, the Caribbean Sea and the western part Atlantic Ocean spawn all year round. Spawning of the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean is confined to the spring-summer season, when the water at a depth of about 75 m warms up to 23 degrees. Representatives of the southern hemisphere population breed from November to February.

Swordfish are one of the most prolific fish species, and the larger the female, the more eggs she spawns. Swordfish reaches sexual maturity at 5-6 years of age with a body length of about 1.4 - 1.7 m. A female swordfish weighing about 68 kg can produce an average of 16 million eggs, and particularly fertile individuals spawn up to 29 million. caviar.

Egg throwing occurs in the open sea, the eggs are quite large, 1.5-1.8 mm in diameter, surrounded by a large fat capsule. Swordfish eggs are pelagic; they do not sink to the bottom, but remain to develop under the surface of the water.

The swordfish fry that are born are significantly different in appearance from their parents. They don't have a sword yet, but their mouths are full of teeth. The dorsal and anal fins are not yet divided into parts, and the entire body is covered with rows of rough scales with small sharp spines. At first, swordfish fry live at the very surface of the water, not descending to a depth of more than 2-3 m, and feed mainly on zooplankton.

The predatory instinct awakens early, and already at a length of 1 cm, swordfish fry begin to eat small species of fish. Juveniles grow quite quickly, becoming similar to their parents, and by the end of 1 year of their existence, the average size of the fish is 0.5 - 0.6 m, and at the age of 3 years, swordfish grows to 1-1.2 m in length. At three years of age, most young swordfish move to the border waters of tropical latitudes, where they continue to intensively feed, grow and develop.

One of the most large inhabitants the depths of the oceans is the swordfish. Due to the development of high speed and endurance, the predator is considered dangerous. There are known cases of fish attacking ships for unknown reasons. The person poses a threat to her. Delicious meat makes it necessary to catch a predator in any way, but due to fertility, the population of individuals does not decrease.

Mer fish is considered dangerous sea ​​life

Description of the predator

The fish belongs to the ray-finned species from the order Perciformes. Large predator frightens with its threatening appearance and strength.

Another name for a predator is swordtail. An individual of this species grows up to three meters in length, but some reach 4.5 m. The approximate weight of one fish is 450 kg. The world record is a fish weighing 537 kg, caught on the shores of Chile.

The life expectancy of the predator is 10 years. Females are larger than males and live 5 years longer.

Swordfish looks sharp dangerous weapon. Thanks to its threatening appearance, it received the appropriate name. The bone formations of the upper jaw, similar to a sword blade, reach 2 m in length. The flat growth is frightening in appearance. There is an opinion that with the help of sharp weapons on the body, the swordtail stuns other predators, but does not suffer itself.

The elongated snout, most of which extends behind the eyes, is the swordfish’s main weapon. Predators pierce 3 cm thick metal without any problems. The impact force is over 4 tons. If the fish cannot get back out of the side, it will die.

Swordfish have no scales, but their body is well developed and takes on a streamlined shape. The fish has a moon-shaped tail. There are no fins on the belly, but they are present on the back, chest and sides. On the back there is a large front fin, starting from the back of the head. The rear one is located near the tail. This structure allows the swordfish to reach speeds of up to 130 km/h, which makes it faster than a cheetah.

The layers of fat act as a shock-absorbing spring. Thanks to this, an individual, when hitting an obstacle at a speed of more than 100 km/h, remains unharmed or suffers minor injuries.

The body of the sword fish is well developed and lacks scales.

The body of the individual is brown with a dark blue tint. The sides are cast in a metallic shade, and the belly is cast in a silvery tint. Stand out against the general background Blue eyes. Young animals have stripes on their bodies that are lost over time.

Swordfish do not maintain body temperature above water, but have some peculiarity - have a blood-warming organ around the eye. Blood flows to the brain stem and eyes, allowing fish to remain undetected at great depths in the ocean.

The fry grow teeth, but over time they lose them. Fish that do not reach 1 m in length have spines on their body. The gill muscles are like a mesh.

Habitats and food

Swordfish lives where warm climate. It prefers tropical and temperate latitudes, so it can be found in the depths of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. Favorable water temperature:

• for adults - 18-22 °C;
• for fry and caviar - 24 °C.

In the warm summer period the fish swims to cold waters and returns back when the temperature drops. Individuals do not swim to the shores. Swordfish live at depths of up to 800 m, but can descend to 2800 m. Predators do not group in schools, preferring solitude. They maintain a distance of 10-100 m from each other. The fish often basks in the water under the rays of the sun and ventilates the dorsal fin.

Swordfish can dive to depths of up to 2800 meters

Food for swordtail:

• tuna;
• mackerel;
• herring;
• squid;
• crustaceans;

Swordfish is found where the climate is more favorable. She hunts on the surface of the water for small individuals, and feasts on large inhabitants of great depths, for example, sharks.

Danger to swordfish

Although the predator has perfect weapon for hunting and his own protection, he has enemies. Mature individuals can fight off, but inexperienced and young ones become easy prey for killer whales and blue-gray sharks. However, the most dangerous enemy is a person because it is valuable commercial fish. Special and professional hunting for swordtail fish is carried out by pelagic longlines. Fishing countries:

• Japan;
• USA;
• Italy;
• Argentina;
• Spain;
• Canada;
• Latin American countries;
• Korea, China;
• Philippines;
• Mexico.

Delicious boneless meat is considered a real delicacy for which fishermen go to the ocean. The color of the meat of a caught individual depends on the food it consumed. For example, if most If the diet consists of shrimp, the color takes on an orange tint. White meat, which is more similar to its natural color, is in greatest demand. Due to the significant content of organometallic cations, fish should not be eaten by pregnant women and children.

The largest catches are observed in the northwestern and central-eastern Pacific Ocean, the western Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the southwestern Atlantic. Swordfish is a favorite delicacy of the Sicilians. The fish is also an object of sport fishing. In some countries (for example, Cuba) competitions are held to catch this type of predator with a spinning rod.

Ichthyologists study the issue of aggressiveness of individuals. The predator attacks ships, rams through boats and boats. In the history of shipping, many cases of ship sinking due to the destruction of their hulls by swordfish have been recorded on paper. An interesting fact describes the story when, in the early 60s of the 20th century, a predator attacked an American schooner. The blow was so strong that the fish flew right up to its eyes into the hull of the ship. Pulling out the sword, the predator went into the depths, and water flowed into the hole that had formed. The team managed to escape by turning on the emergency pump.

During the same period, tuna fishing took place in the Marshall Islands. A large specimen with a sharp, sword-like nose hit a Japanese schooner. The sailors could not escape, the ship sank.

Population increase

There are many features in fish reproduction. Due to high fertility, the swordfish population does not decrease even as a result of fishing.

Period of puberty

Information on sexual maturation of swordtail fish is sparse and contradictory, which reflects different speed its growth and development in different parts range. Females are fertile and reach sexual maturity at 5 years. From this moment they are able to reproduce.
In equatorial waters and the western Atlantic Ocean, where swordfish live, they bear offspring throughout the year. In the Pacific Ocean, individuals breed when the water reaches 23 °C. The inhabitants of the Indian Ocean spawn from November to February.

Swordfish reaches sexual maturity at 5 years of age.

Reproduction of individuals

Swordfish reproduce by external sexual reproduction, in which the eggs are fertilized while in water. The larger the female, the more eggs she hatches. For example, with a weight of 70 kg, she will bring 16 million eggs. The caviar grains are enveloped in a layer of fat. They reach 1.5 mm in diameter and develop under the water surface without sinking to the bottom.

The main feature of the fry is the absence of a sword and the presence of teeth. A small fish is born with a short stigma and spiny scales. The average growth rate of fry is 1/8 to ¼ inch per day. The small swordtail appears defenseless until it reaches maturity. At first, the young feed on zooplankton, but soon begin to eat small fish. Thanks to the fertility of females, the fish population does not decline.

The swordtail is distinguished by its swiftness and agility. Attacking a school of fish, he becomes a real hunter, mercilessly dealing with his prey.

Calories, kcal:

Proteins, g:

Carbohydrates, g:

Swordfish or swordfish is a predatory, large and fast-moving fish that belongs to the family Sword-snouts squad Perciformes. The habitat of this fish species includes mainly subtropical and tropical waters. In the summer you can find swordfish in the Azov and Black Seas. Although this predatory fish is a delicacy for our country, it can still be found in grocery stores.

The swordfish is also called the swordfish, both names were given to the fish thanks to the original appearance- the presence of a sword-shaped process above the upper jaw. Let us note a number of other features of the fish: a powerful tail in the shape of a sickle, the absence of scales on the elongated body and special structure fins. All of the above characteristics lead to the fact that the swordfish can move at speeds of more than 100 km/h, making it the fastest creature on Earth. The weight of an adult individual is on average 400 kg; there are also particularly large ones weighing about 600 kg, with a total body length of 5 meters (calorizator). The swordfish's back is dark blue, its sides are blue, and its belly is silver. It is worth noting that the swordtail sometimes behaves strangely and rams boats and even large ships; scientists cannot justify this behavior.

Scientists know that several species of swordtails exist in nature, but they are similar in appearance and in basic biological parameters; the main difference is only their habitat. Swordfish is cosmopolitan, as it is distributed over a fairly large marine area.

Swordfish calories

The calorie content of swordfish is 144 kcal per 100 grams of product.

Composition and beneficial properties of swordfish

Swordfish, like many other species of fish, has a rich chemical composition, which contains many beneficial elements for humans and also contains a small amount of calories. Swordfish meat is considered dietary and very useful product nutrition. The biochemical composition of this meat predatory fish includes vitamins, and, as well as the following microelements: