Spain country information

Common names: Ballesta, Ballesta, Escopeta
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Found in Galicia (Ref. 86578).
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Bañon, R., D. Villegas-Ríos, A. Serrano, G. Mucientes and J.C. Arronte, 2010
National Database: ICTIMED

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Balistidae (Triggerfishes)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Baliste cabri, Pejepuerco blanco, Common triggerfish, ... more

Main reference

Smith-Vaniz, W.F., B.B. Collette and B.E. Luckhurst. 1999. (Ref. 35505)
References | Biblio | Coordinator : Matsuura, Keiichi | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7348); common length : 44.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 47377); max. published weight: 6.2 kg (Ref. 40637)

Length at first maturity
L_m 16.3, range 13 - ? cm

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 100 m (Ref. 7348), usually 0 - 55 m (Ref. 55172)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 24°C (Ref. 107945); 58°N - 37°S, 98°W - 36°E

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: Mediterranean to Moçamedes, Angola. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Argentina (Ref. 7251).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26-29; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26. Tall, with a small mouth and plate like scales (Ref. 35388). Three faint irregular broad dark bars on body; a narrow pale transverse band on chin; small light blue spots on upper half of body and median fins, and irregular short lines ventrally (Ref. 13442).

Inhabits bays, harbors, lagoons, and seaward reefs (Ref. 9710). May drift with young at surface among Sargassum (Ref. 9710). Usually solitary or in small groups (Ref. 9710). Feeds on benthic invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans (Ref. 4727). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Consumed mostly fresh, smoked, and dried salted. The flesh is of excellent quality. Because it is resistant to capture, it proliferates and competes for food with other species (Ref. 5377).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Vulnerable (VU) (A2bd)

Threat to humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30911)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

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 = 0.5078 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.1 ±0.2 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.18-0.43; tm=1)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
High

Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789