Scientific Name
Tetrapturus georgii

Common Name
Roundscale spearfish

Biology
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).

Classification

Classified By

Lowe, 1841

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Billfishes (Istiophoridae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

Distribution

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, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139).

Range

45°N - 20°N, 31°W - 11°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

200 m

Zone

pelagic-oceanic

Environment

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 43)

Trophic Level

4.37 s.e. 0.74 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

184 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5161 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100)

Resilience

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

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated