the.com/swordfish
a fish that evolved a literal sword and forgot to evolve mercy
means A large, fast-swimming saltwater fish whose upper jaw extends into a long, flat, sword-like bill it uses to stun and slash its prey.
from An English compound that does exactly what it says on the tin: 'sword' (Old English 'sweord,' a Germanic word for the bladed weapon) plus 'fish' (Old English 'fisc'). People across many languages reached for the same obvious image — the Latin name for the genus, Xiphias, comes from Greek 'xiphos,' meaning sword, so even the scientists couldn't resist the comparison.
- top speed
- sprints up to 60 miles per hour
- brain heater
- warms its eyes and brain to hunt deep
- the sword
- a third of its body is bill
- no teeth
- adults slash prey, then swallow whole
- deep diver
- plunges below 1,800 feet chasing food
black marlin — fastest fish in the ocean, reaching speeds over 80 mph, found in tropical atlantic and pacific
striped marlin — iconic game fish with dorsal fin extending from head to tail, caught off baja california and peru
atlantic blue marlin — largest marlin species weighing up to 2,000 lbs, fished competitively off florida and north carolina