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Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangiformes (Jacks) > Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Etymology: Tetrapturus: Greek, tetra = four + Greek, pteron, fin, wing (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: George Butler Leacock supplied Lowe with the spearfish holotype and “…rendered valuable assistance to the cause of ichthyology of this island [Madeira]… …generally as well as in this instance. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Lowe.

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

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 43). Subtropical; 42°N - 29°S, 98°W - 18°E (Ref. 43)

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Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: Positively known only from Madeira, Sicily (Italy), Strait of Gibraltar, and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean off southern Portugal. Can be expected to range widely in the eastern and perhaps central North Atlantic. Central and eastern Atlantic records from Japanese longliner's data need clarification. Highly migratory species.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 184 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 43); 181.0 cm FL (female); max. published weight: 21.5 kg (Ref. 43); max. published weight: 21.5 kg

Further study is strongly needed to clarify the validity of this species. Probably oceanic. Length has been transferred from 'Body length' to FL (* 0.15).

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

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 2024-2)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 15 November 2021

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 14.3 - 19.1, mean 17.1 °C (based on 37 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): 4.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

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

Tetrapturus georgii Lowe, 1841