- swordfish
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1. a large, marine food fish, Xiphias gladius, having the upper jaw elongated into a swordlike structure.[1350-1400; ME; see SWORD, FISH]
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Species (Xiphias gladius) of prized food and game fish, found in warm and temperate oceans worldwide.A slender, scaleless fish, it has a tall dorsal fin and a long extension of the snout, used for slashing at prey. The "sword" is flat, rather than rounded as in marlins. The swordfish is also distinguished by its lack of teeth and pelvic fins. It is purplish or bluish above, silvery below, and grows as large as 15 ft (4.5 m) and 1,000 lb (450 kg). Though a popular food fish, it may have dangerous levels of mercury concentrated in its flesh.* * *
▪ fish(Xiphias gladius), prized food and game fish, probably the single species constituting the family Xiphiidae (order Perciformes), found in warm and temperate oceans around the world. The swordfish, an elongated, scaleless fish, has a tall dorsal fin, and a long sword, used in slashing at prey fishes, extends from its snout. The sword is flat, rather than rounded as in marlins and other spear-nosed fishes, and has thus given rise to the name broadbill. The swordfish is also distinguished by its lack of pelvic fins and of teeth. It is purplish or bluish above, silvery below, and grows to a maximum length of about 4.6 metres (15 feet) and a maximum weight of about 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds).* * *
Universalium. 2010.
