A crystalline silicon carbide fiber containing silicon carbide and boron nitride, the crystalline silicon carbide fiber having a content of Si of 64% to 72% by weight, a content of C of 28% to 35% by weight, and a content of B of 0.1% to 3.0% by weight, and including, at a surface portion, a composition gradient layer in which a content of silicon carbide increases while a content of boron nitride decreases toward a depth direction.