Two Erroneous, Commonly Cited Examples of "Swordfish" Piercing Wooden Ships

Fierstine, Harry L.; Crimmen, Oliver A.

doi:10.2307/1446869

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…All of these factors may decrease the likelihood of failure at this region, preventing the compromise of vital organs such as the nares, and also preventing damage to a region of higher vascularization and growth. Coincidentally, rostra in several different billfish species have been more often documented to show breaks in their distal halves (Frazier et al, 1994;Fierstine and Crimmen, 1996;Fierstine et al, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding in billfishes: inferring the role of the rostrum from a biomechanical standpoint

Habegger

Dean

Dunlop

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Perhaps the most striking feature of billfishes is the extreme elongation of the premaxillary bones forming their rostra. Surprisingly, the exact role of this structure in feeding is still controversial. The goal of this study is to investigate the use of the rostrum from a functional, biomechanical and morphological standpoint to ultimately infer its possible role during feeding. Using beam theory, experimental and theoretical loading tests were performed on the rostra from two morphologically different billfish, the blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) and the swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Two loading regimes were applied (dorsoventral and lateral) to simulate possible striking behaviors. Histological samples and material properties of the rostra were obtained along their lengths to further characterize structure and mechanical performance. Intraspecific results show similar stress distributions for most regions of the rostra, suggesting that this structure may be designed to withstand continuous loadings with no particular region of stress concentration. Although material stiffness increased distally, flexural stiffness increased proximally owing to higher second moment of area. The blue marlin rostrum was stiffer and resisted considerably higher loads for both loading planes compared with that of the swordfish. However, when a continuous load along the rostrum was considered, simulating the rostrum swinging through the water, swordfish exhibited lower stress and drag during lateral loading. Our combined results suggest that the swordfish rostrum is suited for lateral swiping to incapacitate their prey, whereas the blue marlin rostrum is better suited to strike prey from a wider variety of directions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding in billfishes: inferring the role of the rostrum from a biomechanical standpoint

Habegger

Dean

Dunlop

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…White marlin is the closest relative to both species utilized in this study (Santini and Sorenson, ), so if material properties are conserved in this group then failure of the swordfish rostrum during dorso‐ventral loading would require a load that is at least two times greater than that used this study (approximately 400 N). Broken bills in wild‐caught billfishes are found on occasion (Fierstine and Crimmen, ), although the circumstances under which the damage occurs is unknown. An interesting area of future study would be to determine the rostral forces billfish can generate via the body musculature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding Biomechanics in Billfishes: Investigating the Role of the Rostrum through Finite Element Analysis

Habegger

Motta

Huber

et al. 2019

The Anatomical Record

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Billfishes are large pelagic fishes that have an extreme elongation of the upper jaw bones forming the rostrum. Recent kinematic and biomechanical studies show the rostrum to be associated to feeding, however, it is less clear how the wide range of morphologies present among billfish may affect their striking behavior. In this study, we aim to assess the mechanical performance of different rostrum morphologies under loads that simulate feeding and to test existing hypotheses of species-specific feeding behaviors. We use finite element analysis (FEA)-a physics-based method that predicts patterns of stress and strain in morphologically complex structures under specified boundary conditions-to test hypotheses on the form and mechanical performance of billfish rostra. Patterns of von Mises stress and total strain energy suggest that distinct rostral morphologies may be functionally segregated. The rounder blue marlin rostrum may be better suited for a wide range of slashing motions to disable prey, whereas the more flattened swordfish rostrum appears to be more specialized for lateral swiping during prey capture. The almost homogenous stress distribution along each rostrum implies their possible use as a predatory weapon regardless of morphological differences between species. The mechanical implications of other less commonly reported behaviors such as spearing are discussed, as well as the potential impact of hydrodynamics in shaping the evolution of the rostrum in this lineage. Anat Rec, 303:44-52, 2020.

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“…Over the last decades, impalement of inanimate objects and marine organisms by swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.) has been reported in a number of scientific publications and media news. There are reports of swordfish driving its rostrum into inanimate objects, such as vessels (Gudger 1940, Fierstine & Crimmen 1996, bales of rubber (Smith 1956) and submarines (Zarudski & Haedrich 1974). There are also reports of impalement on animals, such as large fishes (Starck 1960, Smith 1961, whales (Jonsgard 1962), marine turtles (Frazier et al 1994 and references therein) and even people (e.g., Haddad & De Figuereido, 2009;Georgiadou et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aggressive interactions between juvenile swordfishes and blue sharks in the Western Mediterranean: a widespread phenomenon?

Penadés-Suay

García-Salinas²,

Tòmàs

et al. 2019

Medit. Mar. Sci.

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There are numerous reports of billfishes spearing objects, marine organisms, and even humans. Whether or not this behaviour is intentional and, if so, what is its functional meaning, are open questions. In 2016, an adult blue shark (Prionace glauca) was found to be killed by a juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the western Mediterranean. Here we report on three more recent cases involving both species in the same area. In February 2017, an adult male blue shark was found stranded in Garrucha (Spain) with a fragment of a juvenile swordfish’s rostrum (18cm long x 2cm wide at proximal end) inserted in its cranium. In March 2017, an adult pregnant female blue shark was stranded alive on the coast of Ostia (Italy) but died shortly afterwards; a fragment of a juvenile swordfish’s rostrum (25x3cm) was found allocated between the eye and the cranium. Finally, in February 2018, an adult female blue shark appeared stranded in the coast of Vera (Spain), with a putative impalement injury anterior to the right eye but without an associated bill fragment. Surprisingly, X-ray and computed tomography revealed an older injury in the right nostril, with a small piece of a juvenile swordfish’s rostrum (5.3x1.2cm). These cases suggest that juvenile swordfish would drive their rostrum into blue sharks as a defensive strategy that is likely to be far from anecdotal. We suggest that no regular cases of these interactions are reported because they occur at high sea and evidence of them, when available, can easily be overlooked.

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Two Erroneous, Commonly Cited Examples of "Swordfish" Piercing Wooden Ships

Cited by 4 publications

References 4 publications

Feeding in billfishes: inferring the role of the rostrum from a biomechanical standpoint

Feeding in billfishes: inferring the role of the rostrum from a biomechanical standpoint

Feeding Biomechanics in Billfishes: Investigating the Role of the Rostrum through Finite Element Analysis

Aggressive interactions between juvenile swordfishes and blue sharks in the Western Mediterranean: a widespread phenomenon?

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