Color of back variable, black, grayish blue, brown, metallic purple, or bronze; sides dusty; underbelly dirty white; long, flat, sword-like upper jaw; lacks scales, teeth, and pelvic fins; single keel on each side of body in front of tail; first dorsal fin high, rigid and short; large eyes.

OFFSHORE worldwide species in temperate and tropical; known to frequent depths of 400 to 500 fathoms; also has been seen basking at the surface.

Once averaged 200 pounds, but over harvest has reduced size of commercially caught swordfish to average 48 inches.

Large swordfish are all females, males seldom exceeding 200 pounds except when spawning, females believed to prefer water cooler than that favored by males; feeds on squid, octopus, and pelagic fishes of all kinds.