Belotsia , or African gisu , or African pterotrissa [1] ( lat. Pterothrissus belloci ) is a species of ray-finned fish of the albulian family. They live in the southeastern and central-east Atlantic between 22 ° C. w. and 24 ° s w. and between 18 ° c. d. and 15 ° c. They are found at a depth of up to 500 m. They reach a length of 40 cm. They are of little interest for commercial fishing [2] [3] .
| Belotsia |
| Scientific classification |
|---|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Squad: | Albuliformes ( Albuliformes Greenwood et al. , 1966 ) |
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| International scientific name |
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Pterothrissus belloci Cadenat, 1937 |
| Security status |
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Not enough data IUCN Data Deficient : 194305 |
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The elongated body with a rounded abdomen is slightly compressed laterally. Body height 4.8-5.0 times less than length. Head tapers, mouth half-low. The eyes are 1.2 times smaller than the interorbital space. The upper jaw does not reach the vertical of the front edge of the eyes. The long dorsal fin begins approximately at the vertical base of the pectoral fins. The short anal fin is located under the back of the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins are close to the abdomen. At the bases of the ventral fins there are axillary scales. The lateral line is straight.
In the dorsal fin 51-59 rays; in the anal 12-14; in nursing 15-16; in abdominal 10; branchial stamens on the 1st arch (4-8) + (12-15); scales in the lateral line 85–90.
The dorsal surface is grayish-yellow or brown-gray, the sides are silver, the fins are light, the ends of the caudal fin are dark [4] .
Belotsia lives off the coast of West Africa from Mauritania in the north to Walvis Bay (somewhat south) in the south. This bathidemersal fish is found at depths of 20-500 m, more often from 100-200 to 400-500 m. [4] .
Reproduction is likely year-round at a temperature of about 18 ° C. Larvae are leptocephalic. It reaches a length of 40 cm and a mass of 387 g. In fish 23–29 cm long, the average weight in catches is 130 g, 30–31 cm - 300–340 g [4] .
Of little interest for commercial fishing. The meat is rather bony. The average catches of domestic vessels north and south of the mouth of the Congo River and in the waters of Angola at depths of 200-500 m were 200-400 kg / h of trawling. Taken into account the world catches of Belotsia: 1989 - 27 tons, 1990 - 24 tons. Belotsia is trawled [4] . The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assigned the species a conservation status of “Close to Vulnerability” [5] .
