Species: Strongylura scapularis, Shoulderspot needlefish, Yellowfin needlefish
beak relatively long
Strongylura scapularis Jordan & Gilbert, 1881
Shoulderspot needlefish, Yellowfin needlefish
Elongate and slender, rounded in cross section; upper and lower jaws greatly elongated, with sharp teeth; no gill rakers; dorsal rays 13-15; anal rays 15-17; pectoral rays 9-11 (usually 10); tail base without lateral keels and not strongly depressed; tail slightly concave; about 172-226 scales before dorsal fin.
Brownish or olive on back, silvery on sides; wide grey stripe along flank; black color at junction of cheek and operculum extends down to lower edge of eye; bone before eye intensely pigmented; scales and spines never green. Juvenile with lower half of head and body black.
Size: grows to at least 40 cm.
Habitat: coastal seas, entering estuaries and river mouths.
Depth: 0-10 m?
El Salvador to Peru.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Freshwater
- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Water column only
- Surface
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Estuary
- Freshwater
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Pelagic crustacea
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
-
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continental TEP endemic
- All species
- Continent only
- Continent
- Panamic province endemic
- TEP endemic
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 40
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 10
