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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.

Classification / Names Nomi Comuni | Sinonimi | Catalog of Fishes(Genere, Specie) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

> 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 Ecologia

marino; oceanodromo (Ref. 51243); distribuzione batimetrica 0 - 200 m (Ref. 43). Deep-water; 46°N - 30°N, 6°W - 36°E (Ref. 43)

Distribuzione Stati | Aree FAO | Ecosystems | Presenze | Point map | Introduzioni | 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 / Peso / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 240 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 4770); common length : 200 cm OT maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 43); peso massimo pubblicato: 70.0 kg (Ref. 43)

Biologia     Glossario (es. epibenthic)

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 Maturità | Riproduzione | Deposizione | Uova | Fecundity | Larve

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

Main reference Upload your references | Bibliografia | Coordinatore | Collaboratori

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

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Pesca: scarso interesse commerciale
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Informazioni ulteriori

Trophic ecology
Prede
Alimentazione
Consumo di cibo
Food rations
Predatori
Ecology
Ecologia
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Reclutamento
Abbondanza
Life cycle
Riproduzione
Maturità
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Deposizione
Spawning aggregations
Uova
Egg development
Larve
Dinamica popolazioni larvali
Distribution
Stati
Aree FAO
Ecosystems
Presenze
Introduzioni
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Area branchiale
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetica
Heterozygosity
Ereditarietà
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Profili di acquacoltura
Varietà
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaboratori
References
Bibliografia

Strumenti

Special reports

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Fonti Internet

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: Genere, Specie | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Database Nazionali | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, ricerca | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 13.7 - 19.3, mean 15.3 °C (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.
Resilienza (Ref. 120179):  Basso, tempo minimo di raddoppiamento della popolazione 4.5 - 14 anni (Assuming tmax>10).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 16 [7, 36] mg/100g; Iron = 0.474 [0.234, 0.985] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [17.4, 19.9] %; Omega3 = 0.216 [0.106, 0.456] g/100g; Selenium = 19.9 [7.1, 55.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 4.5 [0.8, 26.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.217 [0.142, 0.343] mg/100g (wet weight);