442 A. Vedel Taming 



Xiphias in the Sargasso Sea were not in general from the central part of this area 

 where the most concentrated fishing has been carried out and where the young 

 Anguilla larvae have mostly been taken. On the contrary, the specimens were chiefly 

 taken in the southern part of the Sargasso Sea, down toward and among the West 

 Indian islands and thence northeastward. This distribution is clearly illustrated 

 along the track of the Motor Schooner Dana in 1921 (Fig. 3). The ship left St. 

 Thomas late in February and surveyed the area between about 20° N and 30° N and 

 45° W to about 67° W until mid-May. No Xiphias fry were taken north of 23° 10' N, 

 but catches were made at almost all of the southern stations. These extended over 

 the entire section fished between about 45° W and 67° W. At those stations, where 

 the majority of the catches were made, the surface temperatures were about 25° C 

 or more. At two stations, it was 24° C and at only one was it as low as 23-5° C. This 

 locaUty was not far from an area where the temperatures were 24° C. Fig. 3 shows 

 the positions of the catches in relation to the surface isotherms for 24° C and 25° C. 

 The preceding year (1920), when the Motor Schooner Dana left the Mediterranean 

 for this area in late April, Xiphias fry were taken as soon as the ship entered water 

 where the surface temperatures were more than 24° C. Then, due to a leak, the 

 schooner was forced to go directly to St. Thomas without making further observa- 

 tions, and could not return to the area before June. At that time, the surface tem- 

 peratures were 25° C or higher over almost the entire area under consideration, 

 north to about 35° N Lat. (Fig. 4). Despite numerous stations mainly north of 27° N 

 Lat., only a very few Xiphias fry were taken in that area, the northernmost being at 

 26° 19' N Lat. Therefore, the swordfish's principal spawning season in this area 

 seems to be over by early summer (June). 



During the winter of 1921-1922, the Research Steamer Dana was in this part of 

 the Atlantic with headquarters at St. Thomas and St. Croix. The ship left the Cape 

 Verde Islands on 3 November heading for French Guiana. It arrived at Barbados 

 on 22 November and proceeded among the Lesser Antilles to a locaUty east of Bar- 

 buda before the first Xiphias fry were caught. Since the surface temperatures through- 

 out the area across the Atlantic to Barbuda were between 25° C and 29° C, tem- 

 perature is not the only factor which Umits the distribution of the fry. In December, 

 the vessel worked in the vicinity of St. Croix and then in January on her return 

 from the Pacific (through the Panama Canal), she continued around Cuba to Florida, 

 Haiti and back to St. Croix for further work in that area during March and April. 

 Fishing with pelagic nets was particularly carried out at a locaUty just west of St. 

 Croix, and here 20 specimens of Xiphias fry, chiefly early stages of 5-10 mm, were 

 caught. Some few specimens were caught in other parts of the West Indies area. 

 It may be that the connection with the open Atlantic through the Anegada Passage 

 has something to do with the frequent presence of fry in this particular area. Later 

 in April, the vessel continued into the central portion of the Sargasso Sea, but no 

 Xiphias fry were taken there. 



In 1928, on the world cruise, the Dana went from the Mediterraenean across the 

 Atlantic towards Panama. In the middle of August, the ship passed through the area 

 where most of the Xiphias fry had previously been caught. There the Dana again 

 caught Xiphias fry at every station. Of eight specimens captured, half were 17-46 mm 

 in length and half 6-10 mm. The surface temperatures at this time ranged from 

 27°-28° C. No more specimens were taken, however, after entering the Caribbean. 



