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: httpss://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:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

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

Main reference

Nakamura, I. 1985. (Ref. 43)
References | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

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)

Environment

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

Climate / Range

Deep-water, preferred ?; 46°N - 32°N, 6°W - 36°E (Ref. 43)

Distribution

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, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139). Reportedly caught from the Aegean Sea (Pennetti, pers. comm.).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

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.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5630 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.5 ±0.80 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tmax>10)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Moderate to high vulnerability (45 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
High

Tetrapturus belone Rafinesque, 1810