About Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758
Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, commonly known as swordfish, commonly reach 3 meters (10 feet) in length. The maximum reported size is 4.55 meters (14 feet 11 inches) in length and 682 kilograms (1,500 pounds) in weight. The International Game Fish Association's all-tackle angling record for a swordfish is a 536-kilogram (1,182-pound) specimen caught off Chile in 1953. Females are larger than males, and Pacific swordfish grow to a greater size than swordfish from the northwest Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Swordfish reach maturity at 4 to 5 years of age, and the maximum age was originally thought to be at least 9 years. The oldest swordfish found in a recent study were a 16-year-old female and a 12-year-old male. Determining swordfish age is difficult: ages are read from annual rings on fin rays rather than otoliths, because swordfish otoliths are very small in size. As a food fish, swordfish are classified as oily fish. Many sources, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, warn that swordfish may be toxic due to high levels of methylmercury. The FDA recommends that young children, pregnant women, and women planning to become pregnant do not eat swordfish. The flesh of some swordfish can develop an orange tint, which is reportedly caused by their diet of shrimp or other prey. Orange-tinted swordfish are sold as "pumpkin swordfish", and sell for a higher price than swordfish with whiter flesh. Swordfish is a particularly popular fish for cooking. Because swordfish are large, their meat is usually sold as steaks, which are often grilled. Swordfish meat is relatively firm, so it can be cooked in methods that do not work for more fragile types of fish, such as grilled on skewers. The color of swordfish flesh varies based on the fish's diet; swordfish caught off the East Coast of North America often have rosier colored flesh.
