Swordfish
Swordfish
Fish
A sleek ocean hunter with a sword-shaped bill and warm, sharp eyes, one of the fastest fish in the sea.
💡 Fun Facts
- A long, flat, sword-shaped bill gives this fish its name and helps it slash through shoals of prey.
- It is one of the fastest fish in the sea, built like a torpedo for powerful bursts of speed.
- A special heater organ keeps its large, roughly 9 cm eyes and brain warmer than the cold deep water, so its vision stays sharp while hunting far below.
Name Story
Xiphias gladius
means “the sword, the sword — both names mean 'sword'”
What does its name mean?
- Xiphias — swordfish / swordGreek xiphos 'sword'
- gladius — sword (the Roman short sword)Latin gladius 'sword'
Both halves of its name mean the very same thing — 'sword' in Greek and 'sword' in Latin — a double naming for the long, flat blade of a bill on the front of its head.