Talk:Swordfish

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Trachurus symmetricus This article is part of WikiProject Fishes, an attempt to organise a detailed guide to all Fish taxa and related topics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the Portal, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion. This project is an offshoot of the WikiProject Tree of Life

This article doesn't seem to cover the scales found on swordfish, which (as far as I know) do not fit into the normal categories of fish scales. Since they are (apparently) unique, this deserves some attention. However, I don't know anything about icthyology, so I do not want to attempt any changes to the article without advice. RK 19:49, Aug 5, 2004 (UTC)

"Ichthyologists recognize four types of fish scale. The kosher variety of scales are cycloid (round) and ctenoid (comblike). The ganoid scale found on sturgeon, or the placoid scale of the shark are specifically excluded from the Biblical term kaskeses since they are not 'removable' scales without tearing the skin from the flesh. Even an educated layman would not see any similarity between the heavy bony plates of the sturgeon or the needle-like projections on the shark skin and the classic kosher scale of the whitefish or carp.
"In Fishery leaflet #531, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Wash. D.C., it states 'swordfish during early juvenile stage of life (up to 8 inches long), have "scales" that are markedly specialized and rather unique. They are in the form of bony tubercules or expanded compressed platelike bodies. These scales are rough, having spinous projections at the surface and they do not overlap one another as the scales in most fish do. With growth the scales disappear and the adult fish including those sold commercially have no scales.'
Excerpted from a Jewish article on the kosher status of swordfish.
Why swordfish in unclean

I was disappointed that the article doesn't mention the purpose of the sword - or is this not known? (cf this article) 0utsider 03:56, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It does say it's for fighting, though maybe it didn't when you posted. I recall reading that it was covered with toxins or bacteria that would make fish or people sick if it cut them. Dunno if that's true, though. -:)Ozzyslovechild 03:53, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

The article mentions the fish being known as the gladiator (gladius) but gladius just means "sword" in latin, not gladiator. i guess i'm not understanding the connection between gladius and gladiator, besides having the same root.

IIRC, the swordfish hunts other fish by spearing them by the sword, shaking their bodies off, and then eating them. It weuld be great if someone could confirm that and place it in the article. Ppe42 02:10, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

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