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. 











Total 







Temp. 





length 



Location 



Date 



(°C) 



Swordfish 



(mm) 



Bermuda 



Jan. 1969 



3=19.0 



— 



— 





May 1969 



3*20.0 



— 



— 



Northeast of 



Jan.-Feb. 1966 



— 



— 



— 



Cape Hatteras 



Feb. 1970 



— 



— 



— 





Apr. 1967 



— 



— 



— 





Apr.-May 1969 



— 



— 



— 



East of Cape 



Mar. 1967 



23.6 



2 



14.8. 29.5 



Hatteras 





23.5 



— 



— 



Gulf Stream, 



Feb. 1965 



23.4 



24 



.v = 66. 1 



south of 











Cape Hatteras 











Jacksonville- 



Jan. 1966 



23.7 



1 



58.3 



Savannah area 



Feb. 1965 



25.0 



1 



28.7 



Florida coast 



Jan. 1966 



s=22.4 



8 



20.8-51.5 





Feb. 1965 



25.0 



7 



18.7-38.9 





Mar. 1970 



24.0 



1 



85.5 





Mar. 1972 



3*24.4 



5 



21.9-110.0 



Northeastern 



early Mar. 1970 



24.4 



5 



13.0-66.3 



Gulf of Mexico 











Northwestern 



late Feb. 1970 



3*24.0 



12 



9.5-41.0 



Caribbean. 











south of Cuba 











100 miles NE 



Feb. 1970 



26.6 



7 



6.0-19.6 



of Jamaica 











Southern 



late Feb.- 



3=24.0 



— 



— 



Caribbean. 



eaily Mar. 1972 









west to Jamaica 











Southwest of 



Jan. 1969 



3=26.4 



— 



— 



Barbados 



early Mar. 1972 



3*26.0 



— 



— 





late Mar. 1968 



3*26.1 



8 



.v = 28.1 



West of Lesser 



Jan. 1969 



3*25.0 



— 



— 



Antilles 



Mar. 1972 



3*25.0 



8 



J =37.3 



East of Lesser 



Feb. 1969 



3*26.0 



— 



— 



Antilles 











Virgin Islands 



Jan.-Feb. 1969 



3*25.5 



10 



33.5-43.9 



down to 



Feb. 1965 



3*24.0 



15 



36.5-80.2 



Guadeloupe 



Mar. 1972 



3*24.5 



5 



17.6-60.6 



Southwestern and 



Jan. 1969 



3*24 



— 



— 



Central Sargasso 



Feb. 1965 



3*24 



— 



— 



Sea 



Feb. 1972 



3*24 

 Total 



— 



— 





119 





254 



