Family Xiphiidae - Swordfish
Order : Carangiformes Xiphiidae
Class : Teleostei
No. in FishBase : Genera : 1 | Species : 1 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
Environment : Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes
Division : Marine
Aquarium : none
First Fossil Record : lower   Tertiary     Paleocene Ref. Berg, L.S. 1958
Remark : Distribution: tropical and subtropical waters. Premaxilla and nasal bones extremely elongated, forming a pointed, depressed, sharp-edged sword. Gill membranes not united to isthmus. Adults scaleless. No pelvic fins and girdle. Adults lacking jaw teeth. One median keel on each side of the caudal peduncle in adults. Vertebrae 26. Maximum length 4.5 m. The morphological adaptations required for maintaining high brain and retinal temperatures are discussed in Brock et al. 1993 Science 260:210-214. Of high commercial value.
Etymology : Greek, xiphos = sword. 1667 ( Ref. 45335).
Reproductive guild : nonguarders
Typical activity level : very active
Main Ref. : Nelson, J.S. 1984
Coordinator :
Deep Fin Classification : Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Acanthopterygii | Percomorphaceae | Carangaria | | | Istiophoriformes | | | Xiphiidae

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Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]
Glossary
[ e.g. oophagy ]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Xiphiidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758
acceptedseniororiginal
! Xiphasia gladius (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Xyphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
Xiphias imperator Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal
Tetrapterus imperator (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymjuniornew
Xiphias rondeletii Leach, 1814
synonymjuniororiginal
! Xiphias rondeletti Leach, 1814
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Xiphias estara Phillipps, 1932
synonymjuniororiginal
Xiphias gladius estara Phillipps, 1932
synonymjuniorchange in rank
Xiphias thermaicus Serbetis, 1951
synonymjuniororiginal
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