There are some odd jobs throughout the world and one of them entails working on the ocean floor. Although it may seem peaceful to work in such depths, you may just get interrupted by a rather aggressive swordfish. Watch the video at the bottom of the page to see the fish nearly impale a man minding his own business!
How to Tell a Swordfish Apart From a Marlin
Marlins and swordfish are frequently mistaken for one another but they do have a few key differences. Although they both have protruding upper jawbones, they have different classifications. Marlins belong to the Istiophoridae family whereas swordfish belong to the Xiphiida. Marlins also have a longer lifespan than their swordfish counterparts. When you first glance at each of these fish, it’s hard to tell them apart. But upon closer inspection, you realize they have some notable differences. Swordfish are silver and gray, but marlin have a blue top fin.
What Do Swordfish Attack Underwater
Swordfish use their bills for hunting but not in the way you might think. Although they could certainly impale their prey, they would have a heck of a hard time getting them off their bills and then into their mouths so they could gobble them up. Instead of impaling their prey, they just knock them senseless. They either go through schools of fish or side-strike at larger prey to render them vulnerable and quickly snatch them up.
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Diver Narrowly Escapes Injury From Swordfish Attack
When the video below starts, you see a man working on the ocean floor. He’s a scuba diver in Brazil who’s focused on what’s in front of him and doesn’t notice the swordfish lurking behind him on his right. Swordfish swim incredibly fast and the moment of impact startles the Brazilian man, pushing him forward. Although the swordfish could have done some serious damage, impaling him, its bill got stuck in the man’s gear instead. Attempting to free itself, the swordfishes lashes about violently, shaking the man like a ragdoll under water.
There’s a moment in the clip when the man manages to get his bearings — the camera captures his face and his eyes are wide open, emoting the horror he feels. He doesn’t have visibility to see exactly what has attacked him. At this point, all he knows is he was struck, and something is stuck in his gear. He reaches for a rope and starts climbing up, the swordfish unwittingly along for the ascent. He reaches a cage and struggles to climb in. As the video ends, you can see that he manages to get inside the cage and stands in the center, the swordfish still attached to his gear.
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