Belone belone is a species belonging to the Beloniformes order and the Belonidae family. It is a species found in temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean (from Norway to Madeira and the Canary Islands), the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. We will rarely observe specimens of this species in waters deeper than 5 meters, as it is a neritic epipelagic species that usually swims very close to the surface and rarely separates from it. If they feel harassed, they can make big jumps out of the water to escape from potential predators.
The body of Belone belone is very long (up to 100 cm), slightly compressed laterally, with large eyes and a terminal mouth like a long beak with the upper jaw somewhat shorter than the lower, and both equipped with conical teeth, especially visible in adult specimens and not so much in juveniles. None of the fins of Belone belone have spines, but all their rays are soft. The dorsal fin has between 16 and 20 rays and together with the anal fin (19-23 rays) are located in a very rear position inside the body, almost at the height of the caudal peduncle. The anal fin is slightly longer than the dorsal fin, and both are positioned opposite each other. The pectoral fins (11-14 rays) and pelvic fins are reduced. Finally, the caudal fin has a very pronounced slit shape, with the lower lobe slightly longer than the upper one. As for the coloration, the body has a greenish blue color in the dorsal part, and fades as we move to the flanks to acquire a silver / whitish color in the ventral area.
Considering the morphology of its mouth and especially the robust conical teeth, it is not surprising that the diet of Belone belone consists of small pelagic pisciforms, especially anchovies, herring and sardines.
During the months of May to June is when the Belone belone breed. Generally, the adult specimens remain in the open sea, and to reproduce they approach coastal waters. The eggs are attached to floating objects.
There are three subspecies of Belone belone, which differ mainly in the waters in which they live and in the maximum sizes reached. The three subspecies are:
- Belone belone belone. This is the subspecies that lives from the coasts of France and from there to the north. It is the largest subspecies, reaching a maximum length of 100 cm.
- Belone belone gracilis. It inhabits the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Reaches maximum lengths of up to 70 cm.
- Belone belone euxini. Native to the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It is the smallest subspecies of the three, with specimens not exceeding 56 cm in length.
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