Species: Strongylura notata, Redfin Needlefish

Strongylura notata (Poey, 1860)

Redfin Needlefish

Body very elongate, rounded; extremely elongate jaws form a long beak, with numerous needle-like teeth all of top jaw bone covered by bone above it when mouth closed; no gill rakers; fins without spines; low lobes at front of dorsal and anal fins; dorsal 12-15 rays; anal 12-15 rays; pectoral 10-12; small, rounded pelvic fins; no keel on round tail base; tail fin slightly concave; operculum completely scaled; 76-117 scales on nape before dorsal fin; right gonad longer than left.

Blue-green above; a long dark bar at rear edge of preopercle; dorsal, anal and tail fins pink to orange.

Size: 45 cm.

Habitat: coastal areas and mangroves.

Depth: 0-5 m.

The SE USA and Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas to the SW Caribbean.

Note: 2 subspecies; S. n. notata occurs in Cuba and the Caribbean; S. n. forsythia occurs in the Bahamas and Florida