Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica (1911)
“ The part of the sword which penetrates a ship’s side is almost always broken off and remains in the wood, as the fish is unable to execute sufficiently powerful backward movements to free itself by extracting the sword. ”
Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica (1911)
“ Swordfish (Histiophorus pulchellus) . The general form of the body is well proportioned, somewhat elongate, and such as is always found in fishes with great power of swimming, as, for instance, in the mackerel and tunny, and the tail terminates in a powerful bilobed caudal fin. A long fin occupies nearly the whole length of the back, whilst the anal fin is generally interrupted in the middle and consequently appears to be double. The skin is very firm, partly naked, partly with small lanceolate scales deeply embedded in the skin. ”
Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica (1911)
“ The cause which excites swordfishes to such attacks is unknown; but they follow the instinct so blindly that they not rarely assail boats and ships in a similar manner, evidently mistaking them for cetaceans. ”
