Bellottia apoda

Bellottia apoda

The brotola apoda (Bellottia apoda Giglioli, 1883) is a small marine bony fish belonging to the Bythitidae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Animalia,
Phylum Chordata,
Class Actinopterygii,
Order Ophidiiformes,
Family Bythitidae,
Genus Bellottia,
Species B. apoda.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Bellottia apoda is a fish that has been found in the Mediterranean Sea (including the Adriatic Sea, where it appears not rare) and in the subtropical eastern Atlantic Ocean. However, this fish is not common in any part of its range and is found only occasionally but perhaps only because it is difficult to catch and to identify in the codend of trawls due to its small size and inconspicuous appearance.
Its habitat is that of the marine zones between 30 and almost 600 meters deep where perhaps it frequents the crevices of the rocks or caves.

Description –
The Bellottia apoda is a small fish that can reach 5-6 cm in length and with a brown-beige color with tiny black dots and a dark ventral region.
The body is short, compressed, tapering towards the tail, covered by small imbricate cycloid scales. The lateral line is formed by papillae and is divided into two branches; this aspect is more evident in females.
The head is rather large and depressed and has a pointed snout with a large eye. The anterior nostril opens at the end of a short tube above the upper lip. On the head there are mucous pores and sensory papillae.
The mouth is wide, the teeth are on the jaws, on the vomer and on the palatines. In the premaxillae they are small and sharp.
The dorsal fin joins the anal, whose origin is mid-body. The pectoral fins lack free, elongated rays. The ventrals are missing.

Biology –
The Bellottia apoda is a fish of which little is known due to the rare findings; for this reason the biology of this species is practically unknown.
However, it is known that it is a viviparous species and the male has a copulatory organ employed for the internal fecundation which takes place by means of spermatophores.

Ecological role –
The genus Bellottia was attributed in honor of the ichthyologist Cristoforo Bellotti, an Italian ichthyologist, paleontologist and philanthropist.
This fish, as far as the Mediterranean is concerned, has been found in the Gulf of Naples and in the Strait of Messina.
In the Gulf of Naples it has been caught several times on the Posidonia oceanica meadows at low depths.
Little is known about its diet, however it feeds on small invertebrates, both planktonic and benthic.
This fish has no commercial value and has been caught occasionally with shrimp nets.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Louisy P., 2016. Guide to the identification of marine fish of Europe and the Mediterranean. Il Castello Editore, Milan.
– Nikiforos G., 2008. Fauna of the Mediterranean. Giunti Editore, Florence.

Photo source:
– https://adriaticnature.com/archives/707