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Platybelone argalus platyura

(Flat-Tailed Needle Fish, Keeled Needlefish, Keeltail Needlefish, Longtom, Needlefish)

Overview:

Family: Needlefishes; Inhabits offshore surface waters but is particularly abundant around islands (Ref. 9682). Probably the most common needlefish of reef flats, lagoons and bays where it occurs in groups of a few to several dozen. Carnivorous, feeding mainly on small fishes; marketed fresh (Ref. 9682). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs may be found attached to objects in the water by tendrils on the egg's surface (Ref. 205).

Taxonomy

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  • Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
    • Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
      • Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
        • Branch: Deuterostomia Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
          • Infrakingdom: Chordonia (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998

Unambiguous Synonyms:

  1. Belone carinata Valenciennes, 1846
  2. Belone dorsalis Whitley, 1932
  3. Belone persimilis Günther, 1909
  4. Belone platyura (non Bennett, 1832)
  5. Esox teatae Curtiss, 1938
  6. Platybelone argala platyura (Bennett, 1832)

Misapplied Names:

  1. Platybelone argalus (non Lesueur, 1821)

Physical Description

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Family Belonidae:

Distribution: Marine and freshwater. Tropical and temperate waters. Diagnostic Features: Elongate fishes with both upper and lower jaws extended into long beaks filled with sharp teeth (except in neotenic Belonion); nostrils in a pit anterior to eyes. No spines in fins; dorsal and anal fins posterior in position; pectoral fins short. Dorsal fin with 11-43 rays; anal fin with 12-39 rays, pelvic fins, with 6 soft rays, are located in an abdominal position; and pectoral fins with 5-15 rays. Lateral line running down from pectoral fin origin and then along ventral margin of body. Scales small, cycloid, easily detached. Precaudal vertebrae 33-65, caudal vertebrae 19-41 and total vertebrae 52-97. Colour: These fishes live at the surface and are protectively colored for this mode of life by being green or blue on the back and silvery white on the lower sides and belly. Usually, a dusky or dark blue stripe along sides; fleshy tip of lower jaw frequently red or orange. Some fresh water needlefishes reach only 6 or 7 cm in total length while some marine species may attain 2 m. Composition of Family: The Belonidae contains 10 genera and 34 species. Four genera are monotypic: the southern African Petalichthys, the worldwide Ablennes and Platybelone, and apparently the Asian freshwater Xenetodon. The eastern Atlantic Belone contains two species. Tylosurus contains six species of strictly marine species. Three genera are restricted to freshwaters of South America: Belonion (two species), Potamorrhaphis (three), and Pseudotylosurus (two). The most speciose genus, Strongylura, contains 14 species, mostly marine, some estuarine, and three strictly freshwater, two of which are found in Central and South America, S. fluviatilis from Ecuador and Colombia and S. hubbsi from Mexico and Guatemala. Five species are considered polytypic, containing a total of 17 subspecies. Habitat and Biology: Most species are marine, but some occur in freshwaters. Carnivorous, feeding largely on small fishes which they catch sideways in their beaks. Needlefishes tend to leap and skitter at the surface and some people have been injured when accidentally struck by them, particularly at night when the fishes are attracted by lights. Interest to Fisheries: Caught by casting or trolling surface or near-surface lures and in floating gill nets. Flesh excellent in flavor although some people have misgivings about eating it due to the presence of many small bones and the green color of the bones.

The family Belonidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Beloniformes. It contains 10 genera and 34 species. It may be found in Marine, Brackish, and Freshwater environments and is primarily Marine. Some members of this family are used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is carangiform. Members of this family have been dated back to the middle Oligocene epoch of the Tertiary period. This family may be found from 65° n to 40° s and 122° w to 154° e. Etymology of this family name: Greek, belone = needle

Images:

Distribution

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Habitat

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Biome

Saltwater. Reef-associated.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Platybelone:

There are approximately 18 species and subspecies in this genus: P. argalus subsp. lovii · P. agala · P. argala argala · P. argala platyura · P. argala pterura · P. argalus (Keeltail Needlefish) · P. argalus annobonensis (Annobon Keeltail Needlefish) · P. argalus argalas · P. argalus argalus (Keeled Needlefish) · P. argalus lovii · P. argalus platura · P. argalus platyura (Flat-Tailed Needle Fish) · P. argalus pterura (Baja California Keeltail Needlefish) · P. argalus trachura (Keeltail Needlefish) · P. argalus trachurus · P. dorsalis · P. platura · P. platyura

Bibliography

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  • Allen, G.R. and R.C. Steene (1988). Fishes of Christmas Island Indian Ocean. Christmas Island Natural History Association, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, 6798, Australia. 197 p.
  • Allen, G.R. and W.F. Smith-Vaniz (1994). Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Res. Bull. 412:21 p.
  • Bianchi, G. (1985). FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the commercial marine and brackish-water species of Tanzania. Prepared and published with the support of TCP/URT/4406 and FAO (FIRM) Regular Programme. FAO, Rom
  • Collette, B.B. (1984). Belonidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51), Volume 1. FAO, Rome.
  • Francis, M. P. (1993). Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, Southwest Pacific Ocean. Pac. Sci. 47(2):136-170.
  • Fricke, R. (1999). Fishes of the Mascarene Islands (Réunion, Mauritius, Rodriguez): an annotated checklist, with descriptions of new species. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, Theses Zoologicae, Vol. 31: 759 p.
  • Kailola, P.J. (1987). The fishes of Papua New Guinea. A revised and annotated checklist. Vol. 1. Myxinidae to Synbranchidae. Research Bulletin No. 41. Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 194 p.
  • Kapoor, D., R. Dayal and A.G. Ponniah (2002). Fish biodiversity of India. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, India.775 p.
  • Kulbicki, M., J.E. Randall and J. Rivaton (1994). Checklist of the fishes of the Chesterfield Islands (Coral Sea). Micronesica 27(1/2):1-43.
  • Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino (1984). The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1 (text). Tokai University Press, Tokyo, Japan. 437 p. (text), 370 pls.
  • McCormack, G. (2000). Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage database. Sent by Gerald McCormack as RTF document in May 2000 for use in FishBase.
  • Myers, R.F. (1991). Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
  • Myers, R.F. (1999). Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
  • Online resource
  • Paulin, C., A. Stewart, C. Roberts and P. McMillan (1989). New Zealand fish: a complete guide. National Museum of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series No. 19. 279 p.
  • Randall, J.E. (1997). Randall's underwater photos. Collection of over 2,000 underwater photos (slides). Unpublished.
  • Randall, J.E. and C. Anderson (1993). Annotated checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Maldives Islands. Ichthyol. Bull. of the J.L.B. Smith Inst. of Ichthyol. 59:47.
  • Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990). Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
  • Randall, J.E., H. Ida, K. Kato, R.L. Pyle and J.L. Earle (1997). Annotated checklist of inshore fishes of the Ogasawara Islands. Nat. Sci. Mus. Monogr. (11):1-74.
  • Shao, K.-T., J.-P. Chen and S.-C. Shen (1992). Marine fishes of the Ken-Ting National Park. Ken-Ting National Park Headquarters, Construction and Planning Administration, Ministry of Interior. 427 p.
  • Smith, A. and P. Dalzell (1993). Fisheries resources and management investigations in Woleai Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia. Inshore Fish. Res. Proj., Tech. Doc., South Pacific Commission. Noumea, New Caledonia. 64 p.
  • Sommer, C., W. Schneider and J.-M. Poutiers (1996). FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of Somalia. FAO, Rome. 376 p.
  • Tinker, S.W. (1978). Fishes of Hawaii, a handbook of the marine fishes of Hawaii and the Central Pacific Ocean. Hawaiian Service Inc., Honolulu. 568 p.
  • Wass, R. C. (1984). An annotated checklist of the fishes of Samoa. Natl. Ocean. Atmos. Adminis. Tech. Rept., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rept. Fish. (781).
  • Winterbottom, R. and R.C. Anderson (1997). A revised checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Chagos Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean. Ichthyol. Bull. Smith. Inst. (66):1-28.
  • Zei, M. (1949). Eggs, larval and postlarval stages of Maena smaris and Maena chryselis. Acta Adriatica 4(6):146-161.

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors:

  • Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 5, 2007.
  • Collette, Bruce B. (from FishBase).
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 13, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 11 providers.

Identifiers:

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Last Revised: May 15, 2008