59-413: The devil fish or giant devil ray ( Mobula mobular ) is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae . It is currently listed as endangered , mostly due to bycatch mortality in unrelated fisheries. The devil fish is larger than its close relative the lesser devil ray . It grows to a length of disk 3.5 metres (11 ft), making it one of the largest rays . It possesses a spiny tail. The devil fish
118-474: A kosher fish according to the laws of kashrut . Standard Orthodox opinion is that swordfish is not kosher, while Conservative Judaism does consider swordfish kosher. All kosher fish must have both fins and scales. The Talmud and the Tosefta are believed by some to present swordfish ("achsaftias") as an example of a kosher fish without scales because swordfish are born with scales they later shed once attaining
177-412: A sword . The species name, Xiphias gladius , derives from Greek ξιφίας ( xiphias , "swordfish"), itself from ξίφος ( xiphos , "sword") and from Latin gladius ("sword"). This makes it superficially similar to other billfish such as marlin , but upon examination, their physiology is quite different and they are members of different families. Several extinct genera are known, such as
236-804: A 2011 study significantly reevaluated the phylogeny of batoids, using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from 37 taxa , representing almost all recognized families and all of the traditional four major lineages. This is a far more numerous and diverse set of sample taxa than in any previous study, producing findings reflected in the cladogram below. Holocephali (incl. Chimaera ) [REDACTED] Selachimorpha (Sharks) [REDACTED] Rajiformes (Skates) [REDACTED] Platyrhinidae (Thornbacks) Torpediniformes (Electric rays) [REDACTED] "Guitarfishes 1" ( Trygonorrhinidae ) [REDACTED] "Guitarfishes 2" (incl. Pristidae (Sawfishes)) [REDACTED] Zanobatidae (Panrays) Myliobatoidei (Stingrays) [REDACTED] This study strongly confirmed
295-452: A 2021 study in Nature , the number of oceanic sharks and rays has declined globally by 71% over the preceding 50 years, jeopardising "the health of entire ocean ecosystems as well as food security for some of the world's poorest countries". Overfishing has increased the global extinction risk of these species to the point where three-quarters are now threatened with extinction. This is notably
354-491: A boneless skeleton made of a tough, elastic cartilage. Most batoids have five ventral slot-like body openings called gill slits that lead from the gills , but the Hexatrygonidae have six. Batoid gill slits lie under the pectoral fins on the underside, whereas a shark's are on the sides of the head. Most batoids have a flat, disk-like body, with the exception of the guitarfishes and sawfishes , while most sharks have
413-417: A defensive capacity against sharks and other predators is still under review . Mainly, the swordfish relies on its great speed and agility in the water to catch its prey. It is no doubt among the fastest fish, but the basis for the frequently-quoted speed of 100 km/h (60 mph) is unreliable. Research on related marlin ( Istiophorus platypterus ) suggest a maximum value of 36 km/h (22 mph)
472-399: A few species, like manta rays , live in the open sea, and only a few live in freshwater, while some batoids can live in brackish bays and estuaries. Most batoids have developed heavy, rounded teeth for crushing the shells of bottom-dwelling species such as snails , clams , oysters , crustaceans , and some fish , depending on the species. Manta rays feed on plankton . Batoids belong to
531-503: A giant devil ray is 20 years. It is an epipelagic species. It has a very low reproductive capacity. This means that the species gives birth to a single offspring at unknown intervals. The species is ovoviviparous : the young hatch from their eggs inside the mother's body and emerge later when they are more fully grown. The disc width of the pups born at the Osaka Aquarium was 1.03 m (3 ft 5 in). It can be predicted that at
590-682: A greater size than northwest Atlantic and Mediterranean swordfish. They reach maturity at 4–5 years of age and the maximum age is believed to be at least 9 years. The oldest swordfish found in a recent study were a 16-year-old female and 12-year-old male. Swordfish ages are derived, with difficulty, from annual rings on fin rays rather than otoliths , since their otoliths are small in size. Swordfish are ectothermic animals. Along with some species of sharks , they have special organs next to their eyes called heater cells which function to heat their eyes and brains. Their eyes are heated to temperatures measured between 10 and 15 °C (18 and 27 °F) above
649-440: A high bycatch mortality. Giant devil ray mortalities are mostly reported as bycatch from swordfish nets, and occasionally reported as bycatch from longlines, purse seines, trawls, trammel nets, and tuna traps. There are many threats against the giant devil ray such as fishing, resource harvesting (being taken as bycatch in different fisheries), industrial garbage, and solid waste. The main threats to this species come from pollution in
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#1733085866380708-622: A landmark decision by the federal government, 343,600 km (132,670 sq mi) of the Atlantic Ocean were placed off-limits to fishing as recommended by the sponsors. In the North Atlantic, the swordfish stock is fully rebuilt, with biomass estimates currently 5% above the target level. No robust stock assessments for swordfish in the northwestern Pacific or South Atlantic have been made, and data concerning stock status in these regions are lacking. These stocks are considered unknown and
767-505: A large sized Xiphiorhynchus and Aglyptorhynchus . Unlike modern taxa these have equally long lower jaws. They commonly reach 3 m (10 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in) in length and 682 kg (1,500 lb) in weight. The International Game Fish Association 's all-tackle angling record for a swordfish was a 536 kg (1,182 lb) specimen taken off Chile in 1953. Females are larger than males, and Pacific swordfish reach
826-438: A length of about 1 meter. The 17th-century Turkish Sephardi halakhic authority Rabbi Chaim ben Yisrael Benvenisti wrote that "It is a widespread custom among all Jews to eat the fish with the sword, known in vernacular as fishei espada, even though it does not have any scales. Because it is said that when it comes out of the water, due to its anger, it shakes and throws off its scales." A 1933 list of kosher fish published by
885-524: A moderate conservation concern. The southwestern Pacific stock is a moderate concern due to model uncertainty, increasing catches, and declining catch per unit effort . Overfishing is likely occurring in the Indian Ocean, and fishing mortality exceeds the maximum recommended level in the Mediterranean, thus these stocks are considered of high conservation concern. In 2010, Greenpeace International added
944-545: A premium over their whitish counterparts. Swordfish is a particularly popular fish for cooking. Since swordfish are large, meat is usually sold as steaks, which are often grilled . Swordfish meat is relatively firm, and can be cooked in ways more fragile types of fish cannot (such as over a grill on skewers). The color of the flesh varies by diet, with fish caught on the East Coast of North America often being rosier. A dispute exists as to whether swordfish should be considered
1003-424: A spindle-shaped body. Many species of batoid have developed their pectoral fins into broad flat wing-like appendages. The anal fin is absent. The eyes and spiracles are located on top of the head. Batoids have a ventrally located mouth and can considerably protrude their upper jaw (palatoquadrate cartilage) away from the cranium to capture prey. The jaws have euhyostylic type suspension, which relies completely on
1062-606: A tagging experiment conducted by the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), three giant devil rays were tagged and their depth was observed throughout different times of the day. The rays reached a maximum depth of 600–700 meters (2,000–2,300 ft) but mostly spent their time between 0 and 50 meters (0 and 164 ft); they prefer warmer waters with a temperature between 20 and 29 °C (68 and 84 °F). The giant devil rays also deep dive at random times, instances not correlated to
1121-564: A total of 1.3 million kilograms (2.9 million pounds). In the North Pacific, batch spawning mainly occurs in water warmer than 24 °C (75 °F) during the spring and summer, and year-round in the equatorial Pacific. In the North Atlantic, spawning is known from the Sargasso Sea , and in water warmer than 23 °C (73 °F) and less than 75 m (246 ft; 41 fathoms) deep. Spawning occurs from November to February in
1180-445: A wide range of pelagic fish , such as mackerel , barracudinas , silver hake , rockfish , herring , and lanternfishes , but they also take demersal fish , squid , and crustaceans . In the northwestern Atlantic, a survey based on the stomach content of 168 individuals found 82% had eaten squid and 53% had eaten fish, including gadids , scombrids , butterfish , bluefish , and sand lance . Large prey are typically slashed with
1239-536: Is also considered to be the only Devil fish with a tail spine. The Devil fish is most common in the Mediterranean Sea . It is also found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean , off the southwest coast of Ireland and south of Portugal , as well as in the central and western Pacific Ocean. In the Mediterranean Sea , the species has a basin-wide distribution and is most frequent in the eastern Mediterranean and
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#17330858663801298-551: Is legally protected in Italy and Croatia. Fishing, transportation, landing, and trade of the giant devil ray is forbidden in Albania. The giant devil ray is also protected under the Bern and Barcelona conventions. Ray (fish) Batomorphi is a clade of cartilaginous fishes , commonly known as rays , this taxon is also known as the superorder Batoidea , but the 5th edition of Fishes of
1357-565: Is more likely. Swordfish are not schooling fish. They swim alone or in very loose aggregations, separated by as much as 10 m (35 ft) from a neighboring swordfish. They are frequently found basking at the surface, airing their first dorsal fin. Boaters report this to be a beautiful sight, as is the powerful jumping for which the species is known. This jumping, also called breaching, may be an effort to dislodge pests, such as remoras or lampreys . Swordfish prefer water temperatures between 18 and 22 °C (64 and 72 °F), but have
1416-489: Is rarely considered in fisheries management despite being shown to occur in at least 12% of live bearing sharks and rays (88 species to date). Most species live on the sea floor, in a variety of geographical regions – mainly in coastal waters, although some live in deep waters to at least 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). Most batoids have a cosmopolitan distribution , preferring tropical and subtropical marine environments, although there are temperate and cold-water species. Only
1475-473: Is the third largest species in the genus Mobula , after the oceanic and reef manta rays. It is the only mobulid species that lives in the Mediterranean Sea. The species has been observed to have a maximum recorded length of disk width of 5.2 meters (roughly 17 feet). However, those data are unreliable and are allegedly misunderstood as Giant oceanic Manta Rays that have strayed into the Mediterranean. It
1534-512: The Agudas HaRabbonim includes swordfish. The following year, Rabbi Yosef Kanowitz published the same list of kosher fish with swordfish still included. Swordfish was widely considered kosher by halakhic authorities until the 1950s. Orthodox opinion began to shift in 1951, when Rabbi Moshe Tendler examined swordfish and decided it was not kosher due to the lack of scales. Tendler's opinion provoked strong debate among halakhic authorities during
1593-525: The Jurassic . The oldest confirmed ray is Antiquaobatis , from the Pliensbachian of Germany . The clade is represented today by sharks , sawfish , rays and skates . Molecular evidence refutes the hypothesis that skates and rays are derived sharks. The monophyly of the skates , the stingrays , and the electric rays has long been generally accepted. Along with Rhinopristiformes , these comprise
1652-520: The Silver Anvil award from the Public Relations Society of America, as well as Time magazine's award for the top five environmental stories of 1998. Subsequently, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service proposed a swordfish protection plan that incorporated the campaign's policy suggestions. Then-US President Bill Clinton called for a ban on the sale and import of swordfish and in
1711-451: The Strait of Messina , where they are still fished with traditional wooden boats called feluccas and are part of the cuisine in that area. Swordfish are vigorous, powerful fighters. Although no unprovoked attacks on humans have been reported, swordfish can be very dangerous when harpooned. They have run their swords through the planking of small boats when hurt. In 2015, a Hawaiian fisherman
1770-553: The Trygonorrhinidae , while the latter contains the remainder of Rhinopristiformes (the families Glaucostegidae , Pristidae , Rhinidae , and Rhinobatidae ). In addition, while traditional phylogenies often find electric rays to be the basalmost batoids, followed by the Rhinopristiformes, this analysis finds a polytomy between skates, electric rays, and thornbacks at the base of Batoidea, with weak support for skates being
1829-470: The United States Food and Drug Administration , warn about potential toxicity from high levels of methylmercury in swordfish. The FDA recommends that young children, pregnant women, and women planning to become pregnant not eat swordfish. The flesh of some swordfish can acquire an orange tint, reportedly from their diet of shrimp or other prey. Such fish are sold as "pumpkin swordfish", and command
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1888-482: The broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. These fish are found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic , Pacific , and Indian Oceans , and can typically be found from near
1947-890: The deep scattering layer . The boat is allowed to drift to present a more natural bait. Swordfishing requires strong fishing rods and reels, as swordfish can become quite large, and it is not uncommon to use 2.5 kg (5 lb) or more of weight to get the baits deep enough during the day, up to 460 m (1,500 ft) is common. Night fishing baits are usually fished much shallower, often less than 90 m (300 ft; 50 fathoms). Standard baits are whole mackerel, herring, mullet, bonito, or squid; one can also use live bait. Imitation squids and other imitation fish lures can also be used, and specialized lures made specifically for swordfishing often have battery-powered or glow lights. Even baits are typically presented using glow sticks or specialized deepwater-proof battery operated lights. Swordfish are classified as oily fish . Many sources, including
2006-562: The 1960s. Among Mediterranean Jews there was a longstanding minhag of considering swordfish kosher. Swordfish was and possibly still is consumed by Jews in Italy, Turkey, Gibraltar, Morocco, Tunisia, and England. Due to Tendler's opinion, swordfish are generally not considered kosher by Orthodox Jews in the United States and Israel. In 1998, the U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council and SeaWeb hired Fenton Communications to conduct an advertising campaign to promote their assertion that
2065-520: The Adriatic Sea. The large aggregations observed in the Levantine basin could signal an important mating area. Devil fish inhabit offshore areas to the neritic zone , their range as deep as several thousand meters. They are typically observed in small clusters, and may occasionally form larger groups. Giant devil rays are usually seen in deep coastal waters but are occasionally seen in shallow waters. In
2124-510: The Mediterranean and bycatch capture in various fishing equipment including trawls, tuna traps, and dragnets meant for swordfish . All species of the genus Mobula have been targeted by recreational and commercial fisheries for centuries. Fisheries in Gaza and Egypt are reported to catch giant devil rays for local consumption, and they are reported as bycatch in various places including the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. The 2004 IUCN Red List listed
2183-513: The South Atlantic off southern Brazil . Spawning is year-round in the Caribbean Sea and other warm regions of the west Atlantic. Large females can carry more eggs than small females, and between 1 million and 29 million eggs have been recorded. The pelagic eggs measure 1.6–1.8 mm ( 1 ⁄ 16 – 5 ⁄ 64 in) in diameter and 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 days after fertilization,
2242-534: The World classifies it as the division Batomorphi. They and their close relatives, the sharks , compose the subclass Elasmobranchii . Rays are the largest group of cartilaginous fishes, with well over 600 species in 26 families. Rays are distinguished by their flattened bodies, enlarged pectoral fins that are fused to the head, and gill slits that are placed on their ventral surfaces. Batoids are flat-bodied, and, like sharks, are cartilaginous fish, meaning they have
2301-466: The actual most basal lineage, followed by a clade uniting the electric rays and thornbacks. The Mesozoic Sclerorhynchoidea are basal or incertae sedis ; they show features of the Rajiformes but have snouts resembling those of sawfishes. However, evidence indicates they are probably the sister group to sawfishes. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classigies the rays as follows: According to
2360-578: The ancient lineage of cartilaginous fishes. Fossil denticles (tooth-like scales in the skin) resembling those of today's chondrichthyans date at least as far back as the Ordovician , with the oldest unambiguous fossils of cartilaginous fish dating from the middle Devonian . A clade within this diverse family, the Neoselachii , emerged by the Triassic , with the best-understood neoselachian fossils dating from
2419-411: The animal a "devil-like" silhouette. It mostly eats Northern krill ( Meganyctiphanes norvegica ) and small mesopelagic and clupeid fishes. The devil fish has a limited range and a low rate of reproduction. As a result, it is sensitive to environmental changes. Its population trend is decreasing. Most of the information on the giant devil ray has been gathered through bycatch data because the species has
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2478-626: The case in the Mediterranean Sea - most impacted by unregulated fishing - where a recent international survey of the Mediterranean Science Commission concluded that only 38 species of rays and skates still subsisted. All sharks and rays are cartilaginous fish, contrasting with bony fishes . Many rays are adapted for feeding on the bottom. Guitarfishes are somewhat between sharks and rays, displaying characteristics of both (though they are classified as rays). Swordfish The swordfish ( Xiphias gladius ), also known as
2537-422: The danger of this type of prey. Juvenile swordfish are far more vulnerable to predation, and are eaten by a wide range of predatory fish. Intensive fishery may be driving swordfishes and sharks into harder competition for reduced amounts of prey and therefore pitting them to fight more. Human fishery is a major predator of swordfishes. The annual reported catch in 2019 of the North Atlantic swordfish amounted to
2596-550: The devil fish as a vulnerable species. It was reclassified as endangered in 2006 due to low population resilience coupled with continued high bycatch mortality. In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the devil fish as "Data Deficient" with the qualifier "Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System . Off of the Adriatic Sea, the giant devil ray
2655-447: The embryonic development occurs. The surface-living and unique-looking larvae are 4 mm ( 5 ⁄ 32 in) long at hatching. The bill is evident when the larvae reach 1 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8 in) in length. Swordfish were harvested by a variety of methods at small scale (notably harpoon fishing) until the global expansion of long-line fishing . They have been fished widely since ancient times in places such as
2714-636: The energy involved in reproduction is retained and not lost to the environment. All skates and some rays are oviparous (egg laying) while other rays are ovoviviparous , meaning that they give birth to young which develop in a womb but without involvement of a placenta. The eggs of oviparous skates are laid in leathery egg cases that are commonly known as mermaid's purses and which often wash up empty on beaches in areas where skates are common. Capture-induced premature birth and abortion (collectively called capture-induced parturition) occurs frequently in sharks and rays when fished. Capture-induced parturition
2773-443: The existence of a Mediterranean swordfish stock . Fully adult swordfish have few natural predators. Among marine mammals, killer whales sometimes prey on adult swordfish. It is believed that sperm whales may also prey on swordfish on rare occasions. The shortfin mako , an exceptionally fast species of shark, sometimes take on swordfish; dead or dying shortfin makos have been found with broken-off swords in their heads, revealing
2832-662: The four traditionally accepted major batoid lineages, as in Nelson's 2006 Fishes of the World . However, the exact phylogeny of the major batoid lineages, internally and with respect to one another, has been subject to diverse treatments. The following cladogram is based on a comprehensive morphological assessment of batoid phylogeny published in 2004: Holocephali (incl. Chimaera ) [REDACTED] Selachimorpha (Sharks) [REDACTED] Torpediniformes [REDACTED] Rhinopristiformes [REDACTED] Rajiformes [REDACTED] Myliobatiformes [REDACTED] However,
2891-471: The hyomandibular cartilages for support. Bottom-dwelling batoids breathe by taking water in through the spiracles, rather than through the mouth as most fish do, and passing it outward through the gills. Batoids reproduce in a number of ways. As is characteristic of elasmobranchs, batoids undergo internal fertilization . Internal fertilization is advantageous to batoids as it conserves sperm, does not expose eggs to consumption by predators, and ensures that all
2950-407: The rate that its population is declining now, the population will decline by at least 50% in the next 60 years. This is due to a number of threats including the poor likelihood of recovering from declining populations. Devil rays feed on planktonic crustaceans and small schooling fish, which are funneled into the mouth with cephalic flaps. When these flaps are rolled up, they look like horns, giving
3009-405: The surface to a depth of 550 m (1,800 ft), and exceptionally up to depths of 2,234 m. They commonly reach 3 m (10 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in) in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. They are the sole member of their family , Xiphiidae . The swordfish is named after its long pointed, flat bill, which resembles
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#17330858663803068-541: The surrounding water temperature; this heating greatly improves their vision and, consequently, their predatory efficacy. The swordfish is one of 22 species of fish – including the marlin , tuna , and some sharks – known to have a heat-conservation mechanism. The popular image of the swordfish skewering its prey with its nose is based on little evidence. In a typical environment, swordfish most likely use their noses to slash at prey and inflict weakening injuries. The hypothesis that they may use their noses as spears in
3127-572: The sword, while small are swallowed whole. Almost 50 species of parasites have been documented in swordfish. In addition to remoras, lampreys, and cookiecutter sharks , this includes a wide range of invertebrates, such as tapeworms , roundworms , Myxozoans and copepods . A comparison of the parasites of swordfish in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean indicated that some parasites, particularly Anisakis spp. larvae identified by genetic markers, could be used as biological tags and support
3186-478: The swordfish population was in danger due to its popularity as a restaurant entree. The resulting "Give Swordfish a Break" promotion was wildly successful, with 750 prominent U.S. chefs agreeing to remove North Atlantic swordfish from their menus, and also persuaded many supermarkets and consumers across the country. The advertising campaign was repeated by the national media in hundreds of print and broadcast stories, as well as extensive regional coverage. It earned
3245-412: The swordfish to its seafood red list. In 2007, a fisherman died after being attacked by a swordfish which pierced his eye and its bill penetrated into the man's skull. In 2024, Giulia Manfrini, an Italian surfer died in a rare incident after being struck by a swordfish while surfing off the coast of West Sumatra , Indonesia. The swordfish ( Xiphias ) has been used by astronomers as another name for
3304-423: The time of day unlike how other species deep dive at specific times of day. In other observations studying ray abundance and habitat, giant devil rays were observed alone and occasionally in groups with a maximum of 18 rays. The same study also emphasizes that the rays undergo a species migration across the Mediterranean Sea with the seasons, taking advantage of warm, highly productive waters. The average lifespan of
3363-419: The traditionally accepted internal monophyly of skates, stingrays, and electric rays. It also recovered panrays as sister to the stingrays, as older morphological analyses had suggested. However, it found the Rhinopristiformes, including the sawfishes and various "guitarfishes", to be paraphyletic , comprising two distinct clades. Referred to as "Guitarfishes 1" and "Guitarfishes 2", the former contains only
3422-512: The widest tolerance among billfish , and can be found from 5 to 27 °C (41 to 81 °F). This highly migratory species typically moves towards colder regions to feed during the summer. Swordfish feed daily, most often at night, when they rise to surface and near-surface waters in search of smaller fish. During the day, they commonly occur to depths of 550 m (1,800 ft; 300 fathoms) and have exceptionally been recorded as deep as 2,878 m (9,442 ft; 1,574 fathoms). Adults feed on
3481-465: Was killed by a swordfish after attempting to spear the animal. Recreational fishing has developed a subspecialty called swordfishing. Because of a ban on long-lining along many parts of seashore, swordfish populations are showing signs of recovery from the overfishing caused by long-lining along the coast. Various ways are used to fish for swordfish, but the most common method is deep-drop fishing, since swordfish spend most daylight hours very deep, in
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