Tetrapturus belone, Mediterranean spearfish : fisheries

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Related species
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  Tetrapturus
- Species in
  Istiophoridae
- - Classification -
- Istiophoridae
- Carangiformes
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Tetrapturus belone Rafinesque, 1810

Mediterranean spearfish

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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050

This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.

Tetrapturus belone AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS

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Image of Tetrapturus belone (Mediterranean spearfish)

Tetrapturus belone
Picture by Cruscanti, M.

Malta country information

Common names: Imsella imperjali, Pastardella, Pixxispad
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Also Ref. 43.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mt.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Lanfranco, G.G., 1996
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Marlin de la Méditerranée, Marlín del Mediterráneo, Mediterranean shortbill spearfish, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangiformes (Jacks) > Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Etymology: Tetrapturus: Greek, tetra = four + Greek, pteron, fin, wing (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Rafinesque.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 43). Deep-water; 46°N - 30°N, 6°W - 36°E (Ref. 43)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Mediterranean Sea: considerably abundant around Italy. No confirmed report from the Black Sea. No adults have been reported east of the Ionian Sea. Highly migratory species. Reportedly caught from the Aegean Sea (Pennetti, pers. comm.).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 240 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4770); common length : 200 cm OT male/unsexed; (Ref. 43); max. published weight: 70.0 kg (Ref. 43)

This species is the most common istiophorid in the central basin of the Mediterranean and completes its life cycle inside this sea as far as is known to date. Probably swims in the upper 200 m water layer, generally above or within the thermocline. Travels in pairs, possibly corresponding to a feeding behavior. Feeds on fishes. Probably more widespread in the Mediterranean Sea and may have been identified as T. albidus by anglers and fishermen.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Winter and spring might not be an unreasonable hypothesis for the spawning season of this species.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Nakamura, I., 1985. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 5. Billfishes of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of marlins, sailfishes, spearfishes and swordfishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(5):65p. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 43)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 15 November 2021

CITES (Ref. 131153)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 13.7 - 19.3, mean 15.3 (based on 121 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5630 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00447 (0.00195 - 0.01025), b=3.14 (2.94 - 3.34), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.4 ±0.63 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tmax>10).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): High.

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