Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Beloniformes (Needle fishes) > Belonidae (Needlefishes)
Etymology: Platybelone: Greek, platys = flat + Greek, belone = needle; any fish with sharp pointed snout; also Pierre Belon, 1517-64, French zoologist born in Le Mans. Professor at the College de France, author of " La nature et diversité des poissons", 1551 (Ref. 45335).

Issue
Issue on validity of subspecies: subspecies considered as valid in FB, elevated to species rank as Platybelone argalus (Lesueur, 1821) in Eschmeyer (CofF ver. Mar. 2011: Ref. 86697). Please send references, or more studies are needed.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - ? m, usually 0 - 2 m (Ref. 40849). Subtropical

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26340); common length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-15; Anal soft rays: 17 - 20. Gill rakers present; caudal peduncle with a lateral keel, the lateral line passing ventral to it.

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA to Brazil (Ref. 7251), including the Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.

Occurs offshore; particularly abundant around islands (Ref. 5217); schools in sheltered parts of the reef (Ref. 48635). Feeds mainly 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).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Collette, Bruce B. | Collaborators

Böhlke, J.E. and C.C.G. Chaplin, 1993. Fishes of the Bahamas and adjacent tropical waters. 2nd edition. University of Texas Press, Austin.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), b=0.00 (0.00 - 0.00), based on (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.8 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (27 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): High.

Platybelone argalus argalus (Lesueur, 1821)