450 ^- Vedel Taning 



With the development of fisheries for large pelagic, predatory species out on the open 

 ocean, it is conceivable that a fishery can be developed in the chief Atlantic spawning 

 area (floating line fishery). 



In this and other areas of the open ocean there are also spawning places of other 

 large pelagic fish. The closely related family of the Istiophorids is found in rather 

 large numbers — we have over 400 postlarval specimens from all seas — in the same 

 areas as Xiphias as well as over a large part of the Sargasso Sea. In contrast to Xiphias, 

 we have however found numerous Istiophorids in the Madagascar area and many 

 west of Sumatra. Otherwise there were relatively few Istiophorids in Indo-Malaya. 

 As for Xiphias, the Istiophorids fry were totally absent in an area just north of New 

 Guinea which has been intensively surveyed. The hydrographic conditions there 

 gives no clue as to the reason for this. In the Samoa-Fiji area, there were a number of 

 Istiophorid fry, but none of Xiphias. 



From the above it becomes clear that, despite the extensive surveys of the Danish 

 Oceanographic Investigations, relatively Httle has been learned of the life history of 

 these large oceanic fish. Real progress on these problems can only be made with 

 greater co-operation among the research organizations of the world. Thus, much 

 useful information might be obtained with only a few extra hours of work in areas 

 from which we have no records. It should moreover be noted that other fast pre- 

 datory fish {Coryphaena, Istiophorus, etc.) are better able to catch fry which swim as 

 swiftly as the Xiphias fry than is man. Collection of stomach contents of large pre- 

 datory fish should accordingly always be carried out when possible. 



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