Swordfish Skull Replica

Description

Swordfish skull replica measures 24.0 x 5.0 x 5.0 inches. Xiphias gladius skull is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium & mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA. Weight is 2.0 lb. Shipping weight is 15 lb. due to length.

Swordfish are distinct, elongated, round-bodied fish that lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. Found widely across tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They typically inhabit areas from near the surface down to a depth of 1,800 feet.

These fish commonly reach 10 feet in length, with a maximum reported sizes reaching 14 feet. Females are larger than males and Pacific swordfish reach a greater size than those in the northwest Atlantic and Mediterranean. They reach maturity at 4 to 5 years of age.

Swordfish are ectothermic animals. They have special organs next to their eyes to heat their eyes and brains. The swordfish is one of 22 fish, including the marlin, tuna and some sharks known to have a mechanism that conserves heat.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Actinopterygii
• Order: Istiophoriformes
• Family: Xiphiidae Swainson, 1839
• Genus: Xiphias Linnaeus, 1758
• Species: X. gladius
• Binomial name: Xiphias gladius
• Conservation status: Near Threatened

Museum curators looking to expand their marine biology exhibits alongside the swordfish skull can incorporate three distinct fish skull replicas. The alligator gar fish skull replica offers an excellent anatomical comparison of a long-snouted, predatory freshwater species to contrast with the marine swordfish.

Adding the payara wolf fish skull replica showcases an Amazonian predator famous for its massive, elongated lower fangs. The moray eel skull replica introduces visitors to a distinct marine cranial structure featuring narrow, grasping jaws designed for tearing flesh.