The infamous aggressive creature is the swordfish – the unrivaled predator of the ocean.
The swordfish (scientific name: Xiphias gladius) is a large predatory fish commonly found in warm and temperate oceans around the world.
Image of a swordfish.
Although adult swordfish are top predators in the ocean, they are not particularly “formidable” when they are young. In fact, newly hatched swordfish are only the size of a typical grain of rice. So how does a swordfish transform from the size of a rice grain into a top predator?
From Grain of Rice to Apex Predator
The growth process of swordfish can be simply described as follows: In the early stages, they feed on plankton in the ocean. Once they reach a certain size, they begin to eat small fish and shrimp. As they grow larger, they start consuming bigger marine creatures, gradually becoming the apex hunters of the ocean.
Young swordfish, the size of a grain of rice.
This apex predatory fish can grow to an impressive weight of nearly half a ton and a body length of up to 5 meters, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Of course, the massive size of their body is just one part of the swordfish’s “hunting machine”. According to scientists, swordfish are top hunters in the ocean and have no natural enemies in the true sense. Their unbeatable “weapon” is the “sword” – a sharp extension from their snout, along with their tremendous speed.
Among marine creatures, swordfish are known to be the fastest swimmers, capable of reaching speeds of up to 110 km/h (about 30 meters/second).
Not only do they possess speed and a sharp “sword” weapon, but swordfish are also aggressive and quick-tempered. When they feel threatened, they never choose to flee but instead attack their enemies head-on. This behavior deters many other predators in the ocean from provoking them.
Piercing Submarines
The swordfish’s most powerful attack comes from its sharp snout. When they collide with a target at high speed, the impact from their snout can even pierce submarines. Here’s a case in point.
On July 6, 1967, a small submarine named USS Alvin was attacked by a swordfish off the coast of Florida, USA.
According to researcher Edward Zarudzki, they were sampling coral underwater at a depth of about 610 meters when they suddenly felt a “strong impact”. They later discovered that a swordfish had struck the right side of the submarine.
After surfacing urgently, they saw the swordfish, approximately 2.4 meters long and weighing 89 kg, with its snout embedded through the submarine’s fiberglass hull. Fortunately, the inner hull of the submarine was not completely breached; otherwise, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
Confrontations with Humans
In reality, this aggressive swordfish species even dares to confront humans.
For example, in 2015, the captain of a boat named Kona, Randy Llanes, 47, spotted a young swordfish swimming in Honokohau Harbor on the island of Hawaii around 11 AM local time.
Fisherman Randy Llanes. (Source: HawaiiNewsNow).
Randy Llanes quickly used a harpoon to shoot the fish. With 25 years of fishing experience, he decided to jump into the water and attempt to kill it, but unexpectedly, the injured swordfish used its remaining strength to fight back against Randy Llanes.
Officials reported that the swordfish weighed about 18 kg and was 1 meter long. Nearby fishermen pulled Randy Llanes from the water after the shocking incident and attempted to perform CPR on him, but he succumbed to his severe injuries at a nearby hospital.
It is evident that for humans, recklessly catching swordfish is very dangerous, which is why many boat anglers tend to avoid encounters with them.
