Swordfish

For the item used in the quest Hunt for Red Raktuber, see Swordfish (Hunt for Red Raktuber).

A Swordfish is a type of fish that players can catch, cook, and use as food. They are considered the best healing food in free-to-play because they can heal 140 Life Points in one bite. They are a possible reward from Level 2 Clue Scrolls. Other foods in free-to-play may heal more, but they must be consumed in two or more bites.

Players should note that they can only buy 20,000 swordfish per day from the Grand Exchange. This should not present a problem to most players since few people have the need to buy in this amount, as it'll likely take you a day or more to cook that many.

Lucky members may also receive a Big swordfish while fishing. These are hung up in a Skill Hall in player-owned houses for those with level 56 Construction or above.

Fishing
Players can catch swordfish with a minimum of level 50 in Fishing, granting 100 Fishing experience per catch. Fishing for swordfish takes a longer amount of time than lobsters because tuna is caught along with it*. Free players fishing on Karamja generally drop their tuna (often cooking it first for the experience) but the members-only fishing spots in Catherby and the Fishing Guild are close enough to banks that it is actually faster for players to bank the raw tuna than to drop it. Some members keep - and actively scavenge - dropped tuna to make tuna potatoes, which heal 220 Life Points in one bite.

Once a Players Fishing Level reaches 80, they master catching Swordfish.

It is even more profitable for a higher level fisherman to have a low level friend. Instead of discarding the tuna, the higher level fisherman will give it to his lower level friend who in-turn sells it for themselves. This strategy benefits not only the high level but the lower level as well.

Raw swordfish can be fished from the sea with a harpoon. When harpoon fishing, it is very likely that more tuna will be caught than swordfish at levels below 60. With a Jan. 2010 update, a high agility may allow two swordfish to be caught at once, although experience is only gained for a single one.

Barbarian fishing is another possible option when fishing for swordfish. Hand fishing gives an extra 10 Strength experience for each swordfish, and requires level 70 Fishing and level 50 Strength. Note that barbarian fishing is a members-only ability.


 * Based on a sample of 1000 fish caught (Swordfish and Tuna) the percentage of Swordfish caught is about 42% whilst Tuna is 58%. This is subject to your fishing level if you are below 60, after level 60 the formula changes giving more Swordfish than Tuna.

Cooking
Swordfish can also be cooked with a minimum level 45 in Cooking, granting 140 Cooking experience. Players can accidentally burn swordfish while cooking until they reach level 90 in Cooking, or until level 86 when using Cooking gauntlets. Players gain ~190 k xp/hour by cooking swordfish.

It is also good to remember that an Apple pie heals players 140 Life Points in two bites, or 70 Life Points per bite. This can be useful when fighting opponent that can hit hard, but infrequently. It is however, only recommended to use if it is cheaper to purchase than swordfish, and as of July 22, 2010, an apple pie is more costly than a swordfish. No matter the costs however, they are not recommended in player-vs-player combat, since the players' opposition may be able to hit faster than the player can regain Life Points from eating two bites.

At level 45 Cooking, cooking swordfish yields an 80% burn rate. Therefore, it is not recommended that players cook swordfish until their level is 60 or above, as burning swordfish wastes time and money. however, if you do not mind wasting a little time and burning a few swordfish, 55 or 56 cooking is a good time to start (50% cook rate) and if you are lucky, and quite often (1/5 inventories. unconfirmed) 90% cook rate. If you do not mind burning a moderate number of swordfish, 50 Cooking is a good time to start, which gives a cook rate of approximately 30%.