Swordfish, swordfish – the only representative of the genus of swordfish. A large marine predatory fish, an inhabitant of the waters of the open ocean. The presence of a long outgrowth on the upper jaw is somewhat similar to marlin, but differs in the oval section of the “sword” and the shape of the body. The body is cylindrical, strongly tapering towards the caudal peduncle; the caudal fin, like the others, is sickle-shaped. The fish has a swim bladder. Mouth lower, teeth missing. The swordfish is painted in shades of brown, the upper part is darker. Young fish can be distinguished by transverse stripes on the body. An unusual feature is blue eyes. The length of large individuals can reach more than 4 m with a weight of 650 kg. Ordinary specimens are about 3 m long. The length of the “sword” is about a third of the length (1-1.5 m), it is very durable, the fish can pierce a wooden board 40 mm thick. If you feel danger, the fish can go to ram the ship. It is believed that the swordfish can accelerate up to 130 km / h, being one of the fastest animals on Earth. Fish have a fairly wide range of food preferences. At the same time, they remain, almost all their lives, lonely hunters. Even in the case of long-term mass food migrations, fish do not move in close-knit groups, but individually. Swordfish hunts at different depths; if it is near the coastline, it can feed on benthic species of ichthyofauna. Swordfish actively prey on large inhabitants of the sea, such as, for example, tuna. At the same time, the aggressiveness of swordtails can manifest itself not only in relation to large fish, but even to whales and other marine mammals.
Fishing methods
E. Hemingway’s book “The Old Man and the Sea” describes the violent temper of this fish. Fishing for swordfish, along with fishing for marlin, is a kind of brand. For many anglers, catching this fish becomes a dream of a lifetime. There is an active industrial fishery for fish, but, unlike marlin, swordfish populations are not yet threatened. The main way of amateur fishing is trolling. An entire industry in recreational marine fishing specializes in this. However, there are amateurs who are eager to catch marlin on spinning and fly fishing. Do not forget that catching large swordtails on a par with marlin, and perhaps even more, requires not only great experience, but also caution. Fighting large specimens can sometimes become a dangerous occupation.
Trolling swordfish
Swordfish, due to their size of temperament and aggressiveness, are considered one of the most desirable opponents in sea fishing. To catch them, you will need the most serious fishing tackle. Sea trolling is a method of fishing using a moving motor vehicle such as a boat or boat. For fishing in the ocean and sea open spaces, specialized vessels equipped with numerous devices are used. In the case of swordfish and marlin, these are, as a rule, large motor yachts and boats. This is due not only to the size of possible trophies, but also to the conditions of fishing. The main elements of the ship’s equipment are rod holders, in addition, boats are equipped with chairs for playing fish, a table for making baits, powerful echo sounders and more. Specialized rods are also used, made of fiberglass and other polymers with special fittings. Coils are used multiplier, maximum capacity. The device of trolling reels is subject to the main idea of such gear: strength. A monofilament with a thickness of up to 4 mm or more is measured in kilometers during such fishing. There are quite a lot of auxiliary devices that are used depending on the fishing conditions: for deepening the equipment, for placing baits in the fishing area, for attaching bait, and so on, including numerous items of equipment. Trolling, especially when hunting for sea giants, is a group type of fishing. As a rule, several rods are used. In the case of a bite, the coherence of the team is important for a successful capture. Before the trip, it is advisable to find out the rules of fishing in the region. In most cases, fishing is carried out by professional guides who are fully responsible for the event. It should be noted that the search for a trophy at sea or in the ocean may be associated with many hours of waiting for a bite, sometimes unsuccessful.
Baits
Swordfish are caught on a par with marlin. These fish are quite similar in the way they are caught. For catching swordtails, various baits are used: both natural and artificial. If natural lures are used, experienced guides make baits using special rigs. For this, carcasses of flying fish, mackerel, mackerel and others are used. Sometimes even living creatures. Artificial baits are wobblers, various surface imitations of swordfish food, including silicone ones.
Places of fishing and habitat
The distribution range of the swordfish covers almost all equatorial, tropical and subtropical zones of the oceans. It is worth noting that, unlike marlin, which live only in warm waters, the distribution range of the swordfish can cover a wider range. There are known cases of meeting with these fish in the waters of Northern Norway and Iceland, as well as in the Azov and Black Seas. It is likely that swordfish feeding can occur in a fairly large area of distribution, capturing waters with temperatures up to 12-150C. However, fish breeding is possible only in warm waters.
Spawning
Fish mature by the fifth or sixth year of life. As already mentioned, fish spawn only in the warm waters of tropical seas. The fecundity is quite high, which allows the fish to remain a mass species even despite industrial fishing. The eggs are pelargic, the larvae develop rapidly, switching to feeding on zooplankton.