Garfish (Belone belone)

Scientific name: Belone belone Linnaeus, 1761

Garfish (Belone belone)

The Garfish (Belone belone) is a brackish-water fish of the family Belonidae.

Biology

Lives close to the surface and has a migratory pattern similar to the mackerel. Feeds on small fishes, particularly clupeids and Engraulis (in the Black Sea). Leaps out of the water when hooked. Oviparous. Eggs may be found attached to objects in the water by tendrils on the egg's surface. Utilized fresh and frozen; can be fried, broiled and baked.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Belone belone
Family
Belonidae (Needlefishes)
Order
Beloniformes (Needle fishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
93.0
Common length
45.0
Environment
Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - ? m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Three subspecies were recognized by Collette and Parin (1970, ) Belone belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761) (Northeast Atlantic); Belone belone euxini G?nther, 1866 (Black Sea and Sea of Azov); Belone belone acus Risso, 1827 (Mediterranean Sea and adjacent parts of Atlantic Ocean, Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores, and south to Cape Verde; subspecies Belone belone gracilis Lowe, 1839 (France to the Canary Islands including the Mediterranean) in Collette & Parin, 1990.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2; Fec=1000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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