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 (5) 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
Inshore Only

Water Column Position

Near Surface
Surface
Water column only

Habitat

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

FishBase Habitat

Pelagic
Reef Associated

Feeding Group

Carnivore
Data

Diet

Data
Bony fishes

Egg Type

Benthic
Data
Pelagic larva

Global Endemism

All species
Greater Caribbean non-endemic
West Atlantic Endemic

Regional Endemism

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

Residency

Resident

Climate Zone

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

IUCN Red List

Least concern
Listed

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

Sun 03rd Sep, 2023 08:15 am

Species - Platybelone argalus argalus

Habitat

Salinity

Brackish

Marine

Inshore/Offshore

Inshore

Inshore Only

Water Column Position

Near Surface

Surface

Water column only

Habitat

Water column

Estuary

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

Benthic

Data

Pelagic larva

Zoogeography

Global Endemism

All species

Greater Caribbean non-endemic

West Atlantic Endemic

Regional Endemism

Continent

Continent + Island (s)

Extends North of GC

GC non-endemic

Island (s)

All species

Residency

Resident

Climate Zone

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

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

Temperate (>35N)

Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

Least concern

Listed

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 :

485

Range Polygon Area: Km²:

9,705,097 sq km

Range Polygon Centroid (lat/long):

21.08505,-78.15835

Points
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12	10.7	-63.5
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15	11	-68
16	11	-64
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25	11.793	-66.903
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30	12	-81
31	12	-69
32	12	-61
33	12.0773	-68.8798
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113	16	-65.0833
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115	16	-62
116	16.0083	-65.0917
117	16.05	-61.8333
118	16.17	-61.78
119	16.1724	-61.7796
120	16.2683	-61.8071
121	16.27	-63.68
122	16.3	-86.9
123	16.3	-63.7
124	16.3029	-61.8035
125	16.3249	-61.5914
126	16.3833	-86.35
127	16.4238	-61.5384
128	16.67	-88.194
129	16.7	-62.23
130	16.7	-62.2
131	16.75	-62.75
132	16.7583	-62.7583
133	16.7696	-88.1632
134	16.7833	-88.0667
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138	17.0057	-61.7641
139	17.04	-61.6771
140	17.05	-61.667
141	17.07	-61.81
142	17.1	-79
143	17.12	-79.03
144	17.41	-83.83
145	17.416	-83.8333
146	17.45	-83.9333
147	17.4693	-62.9878
148	17.475	-63
149	17.733	-64.736
150	17.76	-64.63
151	17.7613	-64.7188
152	17.7833	-80.2667
153	17.8129	-64.7382
154	17.9	-76.817
155	17.9087	-76.8112
156	17.9333	-66.6833
157	17.945	-66.485
158	17.95	-66.49
159	17.964	-67.081
160	17.9667	-67.0333
161	17.972	-67.048
162	17.9758	-66.6336
163	18	-76
164	18	-67
165	18.0117	-67.3967
166	18.015	-65.835
167	18.0264	-63.0517
168	18.0703	-67.9264
169	18.0716	-63.0133
170	18.08	-67.89
171	18.092	-67.942
172	18.1	-67.4
173	18.1116	-67.8914
174	18.12	-67.38
175	18.151	-65.444
176	18.2167	-63.05
177	18.2763	-65.2873
178	18.3129	-64.7243
179	18.316	-64.785
180	18.33	-64.82
181	18.3326	-64.7986
182	18.347	-65.475
183	18.349	-64.867
184	18.35	-65.0333
185	18.357	-65.033
186	18.3746	-68.8459
187	18.387	-65.6246
188	18.395	-75.023
189	18.4	-76.1
190	18.4033	-75.0267
191	18.4114	-75.0106
192	18.4186	-75.0272
193	18.42	-76.13
194	18.4665	-66.0935
195	18.4667	-77.3
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197	18.4833	-65.85
198	18.487	-66.528
199	18.495	-63.2833
200	18.5833	-67.5667
201	18.5917	-67.575
202	18.594	-63.4313
203	18.6	-74.4167
204	18.6667	-81.8333
205	18.675	-81.8417
206	18.8	-87.6333
207	18.8053	-83.9532
208	18.8083	-87.6417
209	19	-74
210	19	-68
211	19.06	-96.17
212	19.1667	-74.6
213	19.1667	-74.5833
214	19.267	-81.35
215	19.2676	-81.3398
216	19.2847	-81.3922
217	19.3167	-66.1667
218	19.325	-66.175
219	19.35	-78.6833
220	19.55	-66.3333
221	19.6967	-80.0567
222	19.7	-74.25
223	19.7	-74.2
224	19.7167	-67
225	19.7667	-82.15
226	19.8295	-87.4536
227	19.8333	-66.3167
228	19.8667	-71.9667
229	19.9	-69
230	19.92	-68.95
231	20	-92
232	20	-91
233	20	-73
234	20	-69
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240	20.2	-91.967
241	20.2052	-91.9676
242	20.38	-73.43
243	20.4	-73.4
244	20.5333	-82.15
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248	20.6	-69.9
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253	20.7167	-73.55
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351	25	-83.0333
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395	26	-88.4
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480	32	-63
481	32.0333	-67.1833
482	32.0417	-67.1917
483	32.1667	-78.4667
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