Swordfish

(Xiphias gladius)

 

 

Maturity at: 156 cm in length

Max Published Size: 455 cm and 1430 pounds

TnT Record: 700 pounds (unofficial)

TnT Season: Year round with peaks from Oct to Apr

IUCN status: Least concern

 

 

General Information: It's a highly migratory fish found mainly in oceanic waters, in occasions near coastal waters.  Normally stays above the thermocline with preference to temperatures of 18°C to 22°C but it has also been known to be around 1800 ft deep. Tend to be alone or form loose aggregations. They migrate toward temperate or cold waters in the summer and return to warm waters in the fall. Adults are opportunistic feeders, eating mainly fish but also crustaceans and squids. Large individuals are known to accumulate large percentages of mercury in the flesh. In the Atlantic they spawn during spring in the southern Sargasso Sea. Females grow larger and faster. Considered a good eating fish, marketed fresh or frozen.  In Tobago can be caught all year round but more commonly between October and April, normally at night but also during the day.