Xiphias gladius Linnaeus 1758 —Swordfish

Taxonomy. First record from Lebanon as Xiphias gladius, L. by Gruvel (1931: 111); subsequently recorded as Xiphias gladius Linnaeus 1758 by George & Athanassiou (1966a: 7); as Xiphias gladius Linnaeus by Mouneimné (1977: 64); as Xiphias gladius Linnaeus 1758 by Mouneimné (2002: 228). Recent unpublished records from Tyre, Sarafand, Saida, Beirut, Batroun, Tripoli (1998–2019). Material in collection: AUBM.

Distribution. Circumglobal in tropical and temperate seas (including Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Marmara, Red Sea).

Conservation. IUCN: Global (LC: 16 February 2011); Med. (NT: 16 November 2007). Capture and threats: FIT, FIB, unknown. Occurrence: Rare. Low priority for conservation action .

Pleuronectiformes