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Species: Strongylura notata, Redfin Needlefish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

preopercle edge - long dark bar
D, A & C reddish
top jaw all covered by bone above
A 12-15
scales along center nape 76-117

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


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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
  • Mangrove
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 45
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 5