Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Platybelone argalus argalus, Keeltail needlefish

very slender, rounded

tail base flat, + large keel
C v concave

jaws very long, lower longer

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This Species (4) This Genus (1) Similar Species (4)

Platybelone argalus argalus (Lesueur, 1821)

Keeltail needlefish

Body extremely elongate, cylindrical; both jaws very long (lower one distinctly longer), forming a long beak, with numerous needle-like teeth; gill rakers present, 4-5 + 6-7; fins without spines; dorsal and anal fins without prominent front lobes; dorsal fin with 12-15 rays; anal rays 17-20; pectoral rays 10-12; tail base flattened, with large lateral keels; tail fin concave, with equal sized lobes; 107-128 scales in front of dorsal fin.

Greenish to bluish on back, silvery on sides.

Size: grows to about 50 cm.

Habitat: pelagic.

Depth: 0-5 m.

Worldwide in tropical and warm temperate seas, with the W Atlantic subspecies P. argalus argulus; Virginia to the S Caribbean.

Note: Worldwide there are at least 7 subspecies.

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Salinity

Brackish
Marine

Inshore/Offshore

Inshore Only
Inshore

Water Column Position

Surface
Near Surface
Water column only

Habitat

Estuary
Water column
Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)

FishBase Habitat

Pelagic
Reef Associated

Feeding Group

Carnivore
Data

Diet

Data
Bony fishes

Egg Type

Pelagic larva
Data
Benthic

Global Endemism

Greater Caribbean non-endemic
All species.
West Atlantic Endemic

Regional Endemism

Extends North of GC
All species..
GC non-endemic
Continent
Island (s)
Continent + Island (s)

Residency

Resident

Climate Zone

Temperate (>35N)
Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)

IUCN Red List

Listed
Least concern

CITES

Not listed

Length Max

50

Depth Range Min

0

Depth Range Max

5

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Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system: Species Data Report

Sat 23rd Apr, 2022 05:32 pm

Species - Platybelone argalus argalus

Habitat

Salinity

Brackish

Marine

Inshore/Offshore

Inshore Only

Inshore

Water Column Position

Surface

Near Surface

Water column only

Habitat

Estuary

Water column

Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)

FishBase Habitat

Pelagic

Reef Associated

Feeding

Feeding Group

Carnivore

Data

Diet

Data

Bony fishes

Reproduction

Egg Type

Pelagic larva

Data

Benthic

Zoogeography

Global Endemism

Greater Caribbean non-endemic

All species.

West Atlantic Endemic

Regional Endemism

Extends North of GC

All species..

GC non-endemic

Continent

Island (s)

Continent + Island (s)

Residency

Resident

Climate Zone

Temperate (>35N)

Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)

Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)

Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

Listed

Least concern

CITES

Not listed

Size

Length Max

50

Depth

Depth Range Min

0

Depth Range Max

5

Range

Note: range polygons may be inaccurate for species known only from a few, widely scattered sites

Based on paint data

Latitude Limit N

Latitude Limit S

Longitude Limit W

Longitude Limit E

Latitudinal Range (N limit – S limit)

0

Longitudinal Range (W limit – E limit)

0

Range Midpoint (lat/long)

0, 0

Range Polygon Area: Km²

0 sq km

Range Polygon Centroid (lat/long)

-1, -1

Based on point data

Sampling-Point Count :

409

Range Polygon Area: Km²:

9,705,097 sq km

Range Polygon Centroid (lat/long):

21.08505,-78.15835

Points
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2	10.009	-83.088
3	10.0153	-83.0793
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6	10.2667	-76
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8	10.35	-64.3333
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11	10.5703	-64.0696
12	10.7	-63.5
13	10.8	-64.2
14	10.8	-63.9
15	11	-68
16	11	-64
17	11.1554	-60.8386
18	11.1964	-60.7961
19	11.2584	-74.2053
20	11.3021	-60.5209
21	11.36	-63.1
22	11.6	-68.33
23	11.6	-68.3
24	11.7774	-66.8922
25	11.793	-66.903
26	11.8159	-66.7296
27	11.8204	-66.7468
28	11.87	-66.74
29	11.9217	-66.8283
30	12	-81
31	12	-69
32	12	-61
33	12.0773	-68.8798
34	12.0889	-61.594
35	12.1167	-61.6667
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83	15.3	-61.4
84	15.3208	-61.4142
85	15.48	-64.0167
86	15.7461	-79.829
87	15.801	-79.7111
88	16	-65.0833
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91	16.0083	-65.0917
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93	16.27	-63.68
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102	16.802	-88.082
103	17	-79
104	17.0057	-61.7641
105	17.05	-61.667
106	17.1	-79
107	17.12	-79.03
108	17.41	-83.83
109	17.416	-83.8333
110	17.45	-83.9333
111	17.733	-64.736
112	17.7613	-64.7188
113	17.7833	-80.2667
114	17.8129	-64.7382
115	17.9	-76.817
116	17.9087	-76.8112
117	17.9333	-66.6833
118	17.945	-66.485
119	17.95	-66.49
120	17.964	-67.081
121	17.9667	-67.0333
122	17.972	-67.048
123	17.9758	-66.6336
124	18	-76
125	18	-67
126	18.0117	-67.3967
127	18.015	-65.835
128	18.0264	-63.0517
129	18.0703	-67.9264
130	18.0716	-63.0133
131	18.08	-67.89
132	18.092	-67.942
133	18.1	-67.4
134	18.1116	-67.8914
135	18.12	-67.38
136	18.151	-65.444
137	18.2167	-63.05
138	18.3129	-64.7243
139	18.316	-64.785
140	18.3326	-64.7986
141	18.347	-65.475
142	18.349	-64.867
143	18.35	-65.0333
144	18.357	-65.033
145	18.387	-65.6246
146	18.4	-76.1
147	18.4033	-75.0267
148	18.4114	-75.0106
149	18.4186	-75.0272
150	18.42	-76.13
151	18.4667	-77.3
152	18.4833	-65.85
153	18.487	-66.528
154	18.5833	-67.5667
155	18.5917	-67.575
156	18.6	-74.4167
157	18.6667	-81.8333
158	18.675	-81.8417
159	18.8	-87.6333
160	18.8083	-87.6417
161	19	-74
162	19	-68
163	19.06	-96.17
164	19.1667	-74.6
165	19.1667	-74.5833
166	19.267	-81.35
167	19.2676	-81.3398
168	19.2847	-81.3922
169	19.3167	-66.1667
170	19.325	-66.175
171	19.35	-78.6833
172	19.55	-66.3333
173	19.7	-74.25
174	19.7	-74.2
175	19.7167	-67
176	19.7667	-82.15
177	19.8333	-66.3167
178	19.8667	-71.9667
179	19.9	-69
180	19.92	-68.95
181	20	-92
182	20	-91
183	20	-73
184	20	-69
185	20.2	-92
186	20.2	-91.9833
187	20.2	-91.967
188	20.38	-73.43
189	20.4	-73.4
190	20.57	-69.93
191	20.57	-69.925
192	20.6	-69.925
193	20.6	-69.9
194	20.667	-92.917
195	20.67	-69.93
196	20.7	-92.9
197	20.7	-69.9
198	20.7167	-73.55
199	20.9583	-97.3167
200	21.05	-75.05
201	21.0651	-73.684
202	21.109	-73.6696
203	21.133	-73.667
204	21.1697	-73.6009
205	21.2167	-86.45
206	21.444	-86.7797
207	21.4856	-71.5406
208	21.6637	-72.4443
209	21.6833	-73.8167
210	21.75	-84.6667
211	21.8474	-84.6124
212	21.85	-85.5833
213	21.85	-84.6
214	21.9746	-83.629
215	22	-91
216	22	-88
217	22.2	-77.2333
218	22.454	-73.1335
219	22.475	-70.425
220	22.485	-78.1676
221	22.49	-89.7
222	22.5238	-78.1449
223	22.55	-78.15
224	22.5717	-74.3289
225	22.5833	-78.1417
226	22.6168	-73.555
227	22.617	-73.533
228	22.64	-79
229	22.6406	-79.23
230	22.6406	-79.2
231	22.667	-91.7
232	22.7	-91.7
233	22.8326	-74.3564
234	22.8366	-74.3582
235	23	-79
236	23.4167	-64.9667
237	23.6604	-77.3627
238	23.7092	-74.8225
239	23.7489	-79.933
240	23.7512	-76.1246
241	23.78	-79.33
242	23.8	-79.3
243	23.8302	-75.1046
244	23.9531	-80.4426
245	24	-92
246	24.017	-80.25
247	24.1417	-82.2417
248	24.2469	-81.9981
249	24.2509	-82.7799
250	24.3135	-82.9056
251	24.3283	-76.0909
252	24.366	-83.2826
253	24.367	-92
254	24.4	-92
255	24.4095	-80.9319
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349	27	-79.3
350	27	-79
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352	27.2284	-78.3204
353	27.3	-89.4167
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362	27.6667	-77.4167
363	27.67	-79.68
364	27.7	-79.7
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366	27.83	-93.83
367	27.85	-86
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369	27.8767	-93.8167
370	27.908	-93.6
371	27.92	-93.71
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389	30	-88
390	30	-79
391	30	-77
392	30	-76
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394	30.1	-88.5
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396	30.3167	-79.8333
397	30.3333	-79.8333
398	30.4211	-87.2169
399	30.97	-76.92
400	31	-76.9
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403	32	-65.1667
404	32	-63
405	32.0333	-67.1833
406	32.0417	-67.1917
407	32.1667	-78.4667
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