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Fish Photos & Information

Fish, Crustaceans & Cephalopods

Beche De Mer
(Sea Cucumber)

Broadbill swordfish are blackish-brown on the upper body, fading to light brown on the belly, deep azure blue to bright metallic purple on the back when alive.  The eyes are very large and black.  Their fins are brown or blackish-brown.  Their upper jaw extends into a long bill which has a flattened oval cross section. The bill is approximately one third of the fish's total length.  Adults have no teeth or scales and they have a large keel on each side of the body in front of the tail  The dorsal fins are broadly separated and there are no pelvic fins.

The Broadbill Swordfish grows to over 4.5 metres and over 600kg.

Broadbill swordfish are oceanic fish distributed through tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans between 45ºN and 45ºS.  They inhabit all Australian waters beyond the edge of the continental shelf.

Broadbill swordfish tolerate a broad range of water temperatures from 5-27ºC, but normally inhabit waters with surface temperatures greater than 13ºC.

The distribution of larval broadbill swordfish in the Pacific Ocean indicates that spawning occurs mainly in waters with a temperature of 24ºC or more.  Spawning appears to occur in all seasons in equatorial waters, but is restricted to spring and summer at higher latitudes.  In Australian waters larvae are common in spring in the Coral Sea.  Broadbill swordfish with mature ovaries have also been caught in this area in October.

It is a highly prized commercial food fish with pink flesh,  and an exciting, challenging sport fish.

Fishing for Broadbill Swordfish:

Broadbill swordfish are rarely taken on rod and reel in Australia.  It is slightly more common in New Zealand, but still and extremely noteworthy and prestigious catch.

The best method for taking broadbill in Australia, appears to involve the use of whole, fresh squid and chemical light sticks fished 40-100 metres (20-50 fathoms) below the surface far offshore at night.

Photos of Fishing for Swordfish :

GOING Swordfish being eaten by a shark Photo by Commercial Fishing Supplies	GOING Swordfish being eaten by a shark Photo by Commercial Fishing Supplies	GONE Swordfish being eaten by a shark Photo by Commercial Fishing Supplies

Cooking Broadbill Swordfish:

Swordfish - High fat, Low moisture, medium to firm texture.

Swordfish is often described as the most meat-like of all fishes. The steaks have very high oil content, with a dense, meaty texture and a slightly sweet taste. The flavour is not overpowering, allowing for stronger flavours to be used in its preparation. An interesting way to prepare swordfish is to poach steaks in a strong fish stock, infused with olives. Dress with dried red capsicum, dried tomatoes, olives and oven-roasted garlic, and serve on a bed of angel hair pasta with a mash of salsify. Swordfish is also suited to grilling, frying and baking.

Swordfish Rollatini	Tuscan Swordfish	Swordfish with Mango, Cherry Tomatoes and Avocado	Pasta with Ghiotta sauce of Swordfish

SWORDFISH RECIPES

Recipes using Swordfish - from How To Cook Fish

Grilled Swordfish with Tomatoes - Swordfish steaks, tomatoes, lemon, artichoke hearts, lemon, corn kernels, green onion, coriander.

Swordfish Skewers - Fresh swordfish, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, onions, bay leaves.

Baked Swordfish Steaks - Swordfish steaks, tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced onions, green bell pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and dill.

Fish Curry with Green Mango - Swordfish steaks, green mango,  coconut, onion, curry leaves, coriander, cayenne, chili, turmeric.

Microwave Cooking Times for Fish
- Fish fillets – 5 minutes per 500g on medium-high, +50 seconds more for thicker fillets, or until flesh flakes
- Whole fish - Large – 6 minutes/750g on medium
- Whole fish – Small – 3-4 minutes on medium

Commercial Fishing for Broadbill Swordfish:

Wild caught.

Recovery Rate
Steaks: 60% from headed and gutted striped marlin and 70% from headed and gutted swordfish.

Swordfish has a higher recovery rate than striped marlin because it is often sold skin on and the belly flap is kept.

Exporters of Swordfish
Importers of Swordfish
Processors of Swordfish
Wholesale Suppliers of Swordfish
Agents for Swordfish

More links about Broadbill Swordfish

BILLFISH TAGGING
Billfish, including sailfish, swordfish and marlin, are among the most sought-after gamefish on the planet. Exceedingly beautiful and athletic, the largest of these species can reach lengths over 16 feet, and weights of nearly 2,000 pounds. Despite their popularity among sport anglers, however, much remains to be learned about the basic biology of these fishes.

Tagging studies have demonstrated that they can travel great distances – with one record of an Atlantic blue marlin traveling from off the coast of Delaware to the island of Mauritius off the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean – a voyage of 9,254 miles. Researchers from the TRCC, utilizing both pop-up satellite tags and fin-mounted SPOT tags, have also demonstrated these animals’ ability to cover great distances quickly – with several tagged blue marlin covering distances of over 2,000 nautical miles in just a few months. This information is from The Tuna Research and Conservation Center