Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Beloniformes (Needle fishes) >
Belonidae (Needlefishes)
Etymology: Tylosurus: Greek, tylos = callus + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - ? m. Subtropical, preferred ?; 43°N - , 98°W - 36°E
Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: off Morocco and the Mediterranean (Ref. 5505).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 153 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26340); common length : 90.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3129); max. published weight: 3.7 kg (Ref. 4699)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 20-27;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 20 - 24;
Vertebrae: 90 - 95. Diagnosis: body elongate; upper and lower jaws extremely long, forming a stout beak armed with very sharp teeth; gill rakers absent (Ref. 57228, 90102). Nostrils in depression before eyes (nasal pit); pelvic fins abdominal; 20-26 dorsal-fin rays; anal fin short, 9.7-11.7 times in body length; small, black lateral keel on either sides of caudal peduncle; caudal fin deeply forked (Ref. 57228).
Inhabits oceanic and neritic waters (Ref. 26340). Feeds on small fishes. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs may be found attached to objects in the water by tendrils on the egg's surface (Ref. 205). Although sold fresh and salted, its market is limited due to the green-colored flesh (Ref. 5217). Circumglobal in tropical seas and divisible into four subspecies (Ref 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray, 1986. A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p. (Ref. 7251)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic (Ref. 26235)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.6 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High to very high vulnerability (72 of 100) .