Hound needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus) fish species and information / pictures of Hound needlefish - Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus

Hound needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus) fish species information

Scientific Name
Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus

Common Name
Hound needlefish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21-25; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 19 - 22; Vertebrae: 80 - 86. Back dark bluish, sides silvery, white ventrally (Ref. 5317). A distinct black lateral keel on caudal peduncle; caudal fin deeply forked. Juveniles (to 20 cm BL) have an elevated black lobe in the posterior part of the dorsal fin. Jaw teeth point anteriorly in juveniles (to 40 cm BL) but are straight at all sizes in other species of Tylosurus (Ref. 9682). Has a relatively stout, cylindrical body and a shorter head as compared to other needle fishes.

Classification

Classified By

P?ron & Lesueur, 1821

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Needle fishes (Beloniformes)

Family

Needlefishes (Belonidae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-West Pacific

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and South Africa (Ref. 5317) to French Polynesia (Ref. 6784), north to Japan (Ref. 559), south to New South Wales, Australia (Ref. 33390). Replaced by Tylosurus crocodilus fodiator in the eastern Pacific. Western Atlantic: New Jersey, USA to Brazil (Ref. 7251). Eastern Atlantic: Fernando Poo, Cameroon, Liberia, and Ascension Island (Ref. 5757); from Senegal and Guinea (Ref. 28587); and Cape Verde (Ref. 27000). Recorded from the Mediterranean Sea (Ref. 83387).

Range

21°N - 1°N

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

26 °C

Water Temperature To

29 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

13 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 13 m (Ref. 58302)

Trophic Level

4.47 s.e. 0.79 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

150 cm

Common Length

90.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5156 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (60 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Traumatogenic (Ref. 4690)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated