Amongst the varied and exotic visitors to our shores, is one of the fastest fish in the world's oceans. Swordfish - sleek, streamlined and powerful, with a long pointed sword up front. Some have been washed up, and others caught or just observed. With global warming, are we to see more of these reports? Let's hope that big game fishing doesn't start targeting these marvels of the ocean.
3 July 2008
A Broad-billed Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was discovered washed up dead on Barry Island beach, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It was carefully examined by Dr Peter Howlett, (Curator of Lower Vertebrates, National Museum, Wales) who confirmed the identification and found it to be a young specimen 2.24 metres long and between 60 and 80 kg in weight. It had been dead only a few days, but it had been scavenged by other creatures and it was not possible to determine the cause of its death.
They are often called a Broad-billed Swordfish, but there is only one species in the world. They are found throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the world but appear to prefer sea temperatures of 18° C to 22°C, migrating to cooler waters to feed in the summer. These oceanic fish chase herring and mackerel and are among the fastest fish reaching 90 km.h-1 (56 mph). This is in part due to their being warm-blooded, which allows not only their muscles but also their brain and eyes to work more efficiently.
10 August 2007
Mark Guppy clearly spotted a Broad-billed Swordfish, Xiphias gladius*, that jumped out of the water about 800 metres from the Condorferry beyond Old Harry Rocks about five miles off Poole Harbour, Dorset, in the English Channel.(*Species assumed without precise identification.)
Report by Richard Lord (Guernsey)
7 August 2006
Peter Dent spotted a two metre long Broad-billed Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, (58 lb = 26 kg) thrashing about in his salmon net a mile off Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland (north-east England). Because of its size and the damage it was causing the fish had to be killed.
17 June 2006
Admidst so much excitement that the camera could be found immediately, a three metres long (including the sword) Broad-billed Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, swam past our dive boat off the south coast of Devon, off Teignmouth (near the wreck of the Galicia) on a warm sunny afternoon.
20 September 2003
A Swordfish has been reported stranded on the Causeway to Worms Head, near Rhossilhi Beach, Gower peninsular in south Wales. It lived for one hour.
25 October 2001
The Grimsby Evening Telegraph reported a 3 metre long (including the sword) Broad-billed Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, discovered by Ian and Graham Royle washed up dead on Chapel St. Leonards beach, Lincolnshire on the east coast of England. This is usually an oceanic fish with just a few reports in British seas, one or two sightings in the English Channel of this fast swimming fish jumping out of the sea, and one report of a fish washed on the west coast of Scotland.
Original Notification and Report by Doug Herdson (National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth)
via the Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Group
4 October 2000
Guernsey Sea Fisheries Officer Roger Sendall while on board the French trawler, Melisandre witnessed the landing of a 1.7 metre long Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, weighing about 15 kg.
The trawler hauled back its gear at 49 degrees 30.139 minutes N and 2 degrees 56.051 minutes West, which is about 11 nautical miles North-West of Pleinmont Point, Guernsey.
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