“…The Mediterranean spearfish is a small-bodied billfish with limited information on its biology, ecology, and behavior (Boyce, Tittensor, & Worm, 2008;Braun et al, 2015;Robins & de Sylva, 1963). The species is distributed almost exclusively within the Mediterranean Sea, ranging from Israel, Lebanon, and the Aegean Sea in the east to the Strait of Gibraltar in the west (Akyol, Aydin, Gülşahin, & Kara, 2013;Di Natale, Mangano, Celona, Navarra, & Valastro, 2005;Nakamura, 1985). It is most commonly found in Italian waters, particularly near the Strait of Messina where it is known to reproduce (Cavaliere, 1962;Spartà, 1953Spartà, , 1961 and is a target in the country's traditional harpoon fishery (Romeo, Battaglia, Raicevich, Perzia, & Andaloro, 2015).…”