Broadbill Swordfish, Swordfish, Pez Espada, Xiphias gladius.

 The Swordfish is characterized by its robust body, and long bill, with a flattened cross-section, that is approximately one-third of the fish's length. The Swordfish has dark brown upper sides which fade to light brown underneath and its fins are brown to black-brown. The Swordfish has large black eyes, no teeth, no pelvic fins, a single keel on each side of the tail base, and pectoral fins that originate on the lower sides. Its first dorsal fin is rigid, with a short base and a pointed apex, and it is well separated from the second dorsal fin.

The Swordfish is a member of the Billfish Istiopherinae Sub-family of the Xiphiidae family which are large oceanic pelagic surface fish found in all tropic and semi-tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The Swordfish is a highly prized game and commercial species that is exceedingly difficult to catch by anglers. The Swordfish spends the evening near the surface but days at depths between 1,000 feet and 2,000 feet in the water column incurring a temperature drop of almost 20 degrees Centigrade. It has a broader temperature tolerance than other billfish, and is thus considered to be more temperate than tropical with a wider horizontal and vertical distribution than all other billfishes. The Swordfish is never found in water less than 600 feet deep. It feeds on mackerel, mullet, small tuna and live squid. Most recreational catches are made at night on live squid using a light. The Broadbill Swordfish is not easy to confuse with other species due to its long flat sword, short dorsal fin base, and single keel.

In Mexico, the Swordfish is found along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, in the extreme southern portion of the Sea of Cortez, and along the mainland coast through to Guatemala and around all of the oceanic islands. It is reported to reach a maximum length of 15 feet and more than 1,300 pounds in weight. All trophy catches are females since the males do not exceed 300 pounds. The Swordfish is the major targeted species of the world’s commercial longline fleet and as such the supply of trophy fish has been significantly reduced with the average size now being less than 90 pounds. These are monster animals and should be handled with extreme caution; the spear is very dangerous!