Fish of the Tetrapturus genus of the Istiophoridae family of the Istiophoriformes order of the Percomorpha clade of the Acanthopterygii superorder.
(Mediterranean spearfish. Photo by © davvo71. naturamediterraneo.com)
Mediterranean spearfish (Tetrapturus belone) was first described in 1810 by the American naturalist, zoologist, and botanist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840).
It prefers to swim in a 200-meter layer of water, usually above or within the thermocline. It travels in pairs. It feeds on fish. It may be up to 240 centimeters long and weigh 70 kilograms. It’s an understudied species.
(Mediterranean spearfish. Photo © pescasicilia.ne)
It is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It is most often seen off the coast of Italy. It’s an inhabitant of the Adriatic Sea.
Names of Mediterranean spearfish (Tetrapturus belone) in other languages as follows:
Μαρλίνος Μεσογείου (Marlinos Mesogiu) (Greek), Marlín del Mediterráneo (Spanish), Aguglia imperiale (Italian), Mittelmeer-Speerfisch (German), Marlin śródziemnomorski (Polish), Espadim-do-Mediterrâneo (Portuguese), Средиземноморский марлин (Sredizemnomorskij marlin) (Russian), Iglan (Serbian, Croatian), Marlin de la Méditerranée (French).