DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 



Our data alone are insufficient to establish 

 spawning seasons and areas. However, when they 

 are pooled with similar data from other sources 

 (Fig. 3), it can be seen that the greatest densities of 

 swordfish larvae occur in two regions: The Straits 

 of Florida-Cape Hatteras area, and the Virgin 

 Islands-Leeward Islands area. Larvae were also 



caught in the Gulf Stream northeast of Cape Hat- 

 teras (four specimens), in the Gulf of Mexico, 

 northwest Caribbean, southwest of Barbados, west 

 of Lesser Antilles, and in the southern and eastern 

 regions of the Sargasso Sea. 



It is believed that some swordfish spawning takes 

 place in the Gulf Stream system from Cuba to Cape 

 Hatteras. Evidence for this is provided by catches 

 of both ripe adults and larvae. 



Table 2. — Larval swordfish captures by Fisheries Research Board of Canada. 



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