The swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is found in the Mediterranean Sea but also in tropical, subtropical and temperate zones of all oceans. It predominantly inhabits surface waters between 18 and 22 °C, but can descend to 800 m. The swordfish has a fusiform body, cylindrical in section, which narrows at the back. Its best known and most striking feature is the large development of the upper jaw, which forms the typical ‘sword’, flattened and sharp and about 1/3 the length of the body.
A very fast swimmer, it also migrates over ocean distances. It has solitary habits but is sometimes found in pairs. In the Strait of Messina, a characteristic and ancient type of harpoon fishing is carried out using special boats called feluccas, equipped with a tall central mast with a crow’s nest at the top for spotting the fish and a long gangway at the top of the prow on which the harpooner stands, so that he can be on top of the prey before it can hear the sound of the engines.