One hundred and twenty-eight specimens of Bellottia apoda Giglioli, 1883 were caught by bottom trawl in the Central Adriatic Sea between 1970 and 1994, at about 200 m depth. A subsample of 22 males and 20 females was selected for meristic counts and morphometric measurements. All the examined measurements show isometric growth, except for "head length" which exhibits negative allometry in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in the relative growth of "preanal length" and "head length" is shown. Characteristics of gill arches and dentition highlighted both by SEM examination and analysis of stomach contents confirm that B. apoda is a carnivorous predator, feeding on both planktonic and benthic organisms. Observations on ovary maturity stages of 29 females caught all year round, and presence of hatching embryos in August sample, indicate late summer as the main reproductive period. The finding of spermatophores in ovaries in different developmental stages implies that females can store spermatophores until complete egg ripeness.