Species: Strongylura marina, Atlantic Needlefish

Strongylura marina (Walbaum, 1792)

Atlantic Needlefish

Body very elongate, rounded; extremely elongate jaws form a long beak, with numerous needle-like teeth; rear of top jaw-bone exposed when mouth is closed; no gill rakers; fins without spines; low lobes at front of dorsal and anal fins; dorsal 14-17 rays; anal fin 16-20 rays; pectoral 10-12; small, rounded pelvic fins; no keel on round tail base; tail fin slightly concave; operculum completely scaled; 213-304 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; only right gonad present.

Blue-green above, silvery below; black bar behind eyes not extending below midline of eye.

Reaches 73 cm (reports to 1220 cm).

Habitat: inshore areas and mangrove lagoons; enters freshwater.

Depth: 0-5 m.

Massachusetts to southern Brazil.