5420
Swordfish
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5420 |
Swordfish |
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| Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Official add-on for Marine | ||
| $1,000 | ||
| No | ||
| No | ||
| No |
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The broadbill swordfish, Xiphias gladius, is a member of the class of bony fish, Osteichthyes. The swordfish gets its name from its most distinctive feature -- the elongated upper jaw that looks like a sword. The swordfish’s sword is so impressive that Christopher Columbus brought one back with him as a souvenir of the New World. Swordfish are quite large. The biggest specimen ever caught weighed 1190 pounds and was over 14 feet long, measured from the tip of its sword to the tip of its tail. The average swordfish is somewhat smaller, generally weighing between two hundred and two hundred and fifty pounds. Swordfish are built for speed: adult members of the species have no pelvic fins, no scales, and a rounded shape to help them move through the water. Adults vary in color, but are generally grayish-blue to dark bronze on their backs and fins, and white or off-white on their bellies. The double-edged sword of the broadbill swordfish is much longer than the fish’s head. Often, these swords are over four feet in length. The sword is actually an extension of the upper jaw, and takes the place of teeth in the adult swordfish. Like the body of the fish, the sword is dark in color on top and white underneath. This coloring scheme helps convince fish swimming beneath the swordfish in the water column that the white they see above them is the sky and not a huge predator. Members of the swordfish family live for about nine years and are found through the temperate, subtropical, and tropical seas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Atlantic broadbill swordfish is found off the coast of New England from late June throughout the summer. During the winter, these fish move south and offshore into deeper waters, where they stay below the surface during storms, only coming to surface to bask when the water is calm. Swordfish are fast swimmers, achieving speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. High speeds are an important part of their hunting technique. Swordfish will eat squid, octopi, and crustaceans, but they mainly feed on other fish. They often hunt schooling fish such as mackerel, menhaden, bluefish, whiting, and butterfish. In order to attack a school of fish, the swordfish builds up speed and then thrusts into the school, slashing with his sword. When the school scatters, the swordfish can feed upon the dead and wounded. Besides humans, the swordfish does not have many predators. Sharks and some of the larger cetaceans (especially orcas) will occasionally attack a swordfish. Parasites are a much larger problem for these fish, however. Remoras, a kind of suckerfish, are often found attached to the skin or gill covers of swordfish. Most swordfish also have at least one kind of worm living in their digestive system. These worms are often the cause of death of an otherwise healthy adult swordfish. The female swordfish is considerably larger than the male. Almost all of the swordfish over 200 pounds caught by fishermen have been female. Each female swordfish will lay tens of millions of eggs annually. The eggs are then fertilized externally by males of the species. But very few of these eggs survive to hatch and mature. Since the swordfish is prized both as a sport and a commercial fish, overfishing has further reduced their number. Careful management of this species is needed to preserve it for generations to come.
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75
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80
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70
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70
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5
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100
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-5
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No
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To build a good animal exhibit you need to ask a few questions: (click them for the answers) |
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Which tank wall is suitable for this animal? Remember that all tanks need a tank filter! |
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How big should the exhibit be and what Depth should the tank be? |
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Does this animal perform in a show? |
No |
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See Through |
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Concrete Edge and Glass |
$125 |
Yes |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.4 |
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Atlantean Tank Wall |
$125 |
Yes |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.4 |
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Solid Concrete |
$125 |
No |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.4 |
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Black Bar and Glass |
$130 |
Yes |
3 |
500 |
13 |
10.0 |
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Number of Animals/Exhibit |
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20 |
2 |
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6 |
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| TankDepth |
5
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28
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
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| Saltwater |
100
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20
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40
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60
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80
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100
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120
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140
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160
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180
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200
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|
8
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6
|
13
|
19
|
26
|
32
|
38
|
45
|
51
|
58
|
64
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|
|
16
|
3
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6
|
10
|
13
|
16
|
19
|
22
|
26
|
29
|
32
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Exhibit Size |
100
|
20
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40
|
60
|
80
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100
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120
|
140
|
160
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180
|
200
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7411
|
8
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Red
Gorgonian
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8
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$125
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6.4
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7414
|
6
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Sea
Cucumber
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6
|
$125
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4.8
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7413
|
6
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Sand
Dollar
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6
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$110
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5.5
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|
7412
|
6
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Sargassum
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6
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$150
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4.0
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7419
|
3
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Stove
Pipe Sponge
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3
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$150
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2.0
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|
7407
|
3
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Feather
Duster Worm
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3
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$120
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2.5
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|
7408
|
3
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Fire
Coral
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3
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$150
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2.0
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|
7406
|
3
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Divercate
Tree Coral
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3
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$125
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2.4
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7417
|
3
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Sea
Grass
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3
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$100
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3.0
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|
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9235
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6
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Small
Ocean Floor Rock
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1
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1
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Yes
|
24
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$100
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24.0
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9241
|
6
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Isle
Rock
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8
|
8
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Yes
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6
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$150
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4.0
|
|
9236
|
6
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Medium
Coral Formation
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4
|
4
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Yes
|
6
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$150
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4.0
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|
9237
|
6
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Large
Ocean Floor Rock
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4
|
4
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Yes
|
6
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$165
|
3.6
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|
9239
|
6
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Large
Coral Formation
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4
|
6
|
Yes
|
6
|
$175
|
3.4
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|
9238
|
6
|
Medium
Ocean Floor Rock
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2
|
2
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Yes
|
6
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$150
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4.0
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none |
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6466
|
Fake
Clam
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100
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$185
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|
6468
|
Treasure
Chest
|
100
|
$185
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|
6470
|
Deep
Sea Diver
|
100
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$200
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| High | 5 | ||
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ReproductionInterval(months): |
9 | -12 | |
| 96 | 10 | ||
| 1 |
TimeDeath(months): |
36 | |
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BabyToAdult(months): |
4 |
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| -10 | -20 | ||
| 5 | 60 | ||
| -5 | -5 | ||
| 20 | 1 | ||
| -10 | -15 | ||
| -10 | -15 | ||
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10 |
Fish |
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man |
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