Jay Rooker, a marine biologist and professor at Texas A&M University at Galveston, took the photo of a baby Atlantic swordfish in 2013 while he was surveying the northern waters of the Gulf of Mexico. With the aid of a team, he conducts larval fish surveys, and this little guy was caught using a Neuston net the group towed at the surface.

It’s hard to believe but this tiny tot -- which can fit on top of a fingertip -- could have grown to be as big as 39 inches within its first year, according to marine biologist Juan C. Levesque.

Levesque told The Huffington Post that a typical swordfish weighs between 250 to 325 pounds, but it can grow to be much bigger.

For instance, the largest on record in Florida, where some of the biggest swordfish are believed to be found, was caught in Key Largo and weighed 612 pounds, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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