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Is Swordfish kosher?

No — Swordfish is not kosher under Jewish dietary law.

Not kosher according to the Orthodox Union, Chabad, and most Orthodox authorities: adult swordfish lose their juvenile scales and are scaleless at market size. Some Conservative authorities disagree; Orthodox practice does not accept swordfish.

Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)

Image: Photo by Naturalis Biodiversity Center · licensed CC0 · source

Scientific name
Xiphias gladius
Hebrew name
דג חרב
Also known as
Broadbill
Category
scaleless
Fins & scales
Fins ✓ , no scales ✗
Kosher status
Not kosher

About Swordfish

Large, predatory fish with a long, flat, pointed bill. Juvenile swordfish have scales; adults do not. The swordfish (Xiphias gladius), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are the sole member of the family Xiphiidae. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. These fish are found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and can typically be found from near the surface to a depth of 550 m (1,800 ft), and exceptionally up to depths of 2,878 m (9,442 ft). They commonly reach 3 m (10 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in) in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. The swordfish (Xiphias gladius), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are the sole member of the family Xiphiidae. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. These fish are found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and can typically be found from near the surface to a depth of 550 m (1,800 ft), and exceptionally up to depths of 2,878 m (9,442 ft). They commonly reach 3 m (10 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in) in length and 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. Taxonomy and etymology The swordfish is named after its long pointed, flat bill, which resembles a sword. The species name, Xiphias gladius, derives from Greek ξιφίας (xiphias, "swordfish"), itself from ξίφος (xiphos, "sword") and from Latin gladius ("sword"). This makes it superficially similar to other billfish such as marlin, but upon examination, their physiology is quite different and they are members of different families. The swordfish appears to have...

Kosher ruling

Not kosher according to the Orthodox Union, Chabad, and most Orthodox authorities: adult swordfish lose their juvenile scales and are scaleless at market size. Some Conservative authorities disagree; Orthodox practice does not accept swordfish.

Source: Orthodox Union, Chabad; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0); Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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