Author: (Le Sueur, 1821)

Platybelone argalus (Le Sueur, 1821)

Diagnosis: body pentagonal in cross-section; caudal peduncle greatly depressed. Lower jaw obviously longer than upper. Vomerine teeth absent. Jaw teeth small. Anterior lobes of dorsal and anal fins moderate; caudal fin strongly forked. Dorsal finrays 11-16; anal finrays 14-20; pectoral finrays 10-13. Gillrakers 10-12. Vertebrae 62-76. Scales comparatively large. Predorsal scales 101-137. Juveniles with greatly elongated lower jaw, without black posterior dorsal fin lobe. Size: to 32 cm BL, which equals about 50 cm SL.

Habitat: epipelagic, neritic. Food: no data. Reproduction: no data.

Distribution: occurs near the Azores. Elsewhere, worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas.

Subspecies

Platybelone argalus ssp.: dorsal finrays 14-16, anal finrays 19. Vertebrae 74-76. Collette & Parin (1970) felt more material was needed to assess the systematic status of this population.
The remaining subspecies all occur outside Clofnam area.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Beloniformes
Suborder Scomberesocoidei
Family Belonidae
Genus Platybelone
Species Platybelone argalus

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Platybelone argalus (Lesueur, 1821)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Platybelone argalus (Le Sueur, 1821)

Synonyms:

Belone argalus Lesueur, 1821, J. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad., 2 (1): 125 (West Indies, near Guadaloupe). Plafybelone argalus: Collette & Parin, 1970: 27-30 (subspecies recognized).
Belone platyura Bennett, 1832
Belone trachura Valenciennes, 1846
Belone lovii Günther, 1866.

Subspecies:

Platybelone argalus subspec.
Platybelone argalus ssp. Collette & Parin, 1970, Atlantide Rep., 11: 3437 (Azores). Belone trachura (non Valenciennes): Fowler, 1919a: 196, fig. 1.
Belone argalus (non Lesueur): Fowler, 1936: 441-442 (partim).


Common names:

agujon de quilla [Es]
keeltail needlefish [En]
orphie carene [Fr]

Collette, B. B.; Parin, N. V. 1970. Needlefishes (Belonidae) of the Lastern Atlantic Ocean. Atlantide Rep., (11): 7-60, 13 fig.

Fowler, H. W. 1920. The Fishes of the United States 'Eclipse' Expedition to West Africa. Proc. U.S. natn. Mus., 1919 [1920], 56: pp. 195-292, 13 fig.

Fowler, H. W. 1936. The Marine Fishes of West Africa, based on the collection of the American Museum Congo Expedition 1909-1915. Bull. am. Mus. nat. Hist., 70 (1), Jan. 21, 1936: pp. vii+1-606, fig. 1-275; (2), Nov. 18, 1936: pp. 607-1493, fig. 276-567.

Günther, A. 1866. Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. 6. Catalogue of the Physostomi containing the families Salmonidae, Percopsidae, Galaxidae, Mormyridae, Gymnarchidae, Esocidae, Umbridae, Scombresocidae, Cyprinodontidae in the collection of the British Museum. London, pp. xv+368 p.

Lesueur, C. A. 1821. Observations on several genera and species of fish, belonging to the natural family of the Esoces. J. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad, 2 (1) :124138.

Cuvier, G.; Valenciennes, A. 1828-1849. Histoire naturelle des Poissons, Paris-Strasbourg, 22 vol., 11030 pp., 621 pl. (numb. 1-650).1,1828: xvi+573 pp., pl. I-VIII [author: Cuvier]; 2, 1828: xxi+490 pp., pl. 9-40 [Cuv.: pp. 1-238, pp. 249-262, pp. 387-490; Val.: pp. 238-249, pp. 262-386]; 3 April 1829: xxiii+500 pp., pl. 41-71 [Cuvier]; 4, 1829: xxvi+518 pp., pl. 72-99 [Cuvier]; 5, 1830: xxviii+499 pp., pl. 100-140 [Cuvier]; 6, 1830: xxiv+pp.559 pp., pl. 141-169 [Val.: pp. 1-425, 493-559; Cuv.: 426-491]; 7, 1831: xxix + 531 pp., pl. 170-208 [Cuv.: 1-440; Val.: pp. 441-531]; 8, 1832: xix+509 pp., pl. 209-245 [Cuv.: pp. 1-470; Val.: pp. 471-509]; 9, 1833: xxix+512 pp., pl. 246-279 [Cuv.: pp. 1-198, pp. 330-359, pp. 372-427; Val.: pp. 199-329, pp. 359-371, pp. 429-512]; 10, 1835: xxiv+482 pp., pl. 280-306 [Val.]; 11, 1836: xx+506 pp., pl. 307-343 [Val.]; 12, 1837: xxix+507 pp., pl. 344-368 [Val.]; 13, 1839: xix+505 pp., pl. 369-388 [Val.]; 14, 1840: xxii+464 pp., pl. 389-420 [Val.]; 15, 1840: xxi + 540 pp., pl. 421-455 [Val.]; 16, 1842: xx+472 pp., pl. 456-487 [Val.]; 17, 1844: xxiii+497 pp., pl. 487-519 [Val.]; 18, 1846: xix+505 pp., pl. 520-553 [Val.]; 19, 1847: xix+544 pp., pl. 554-590 [Val.]; 20, 1847: xviii+472 pp., pl. 591-606 [Val.]; 21, 1848: xiv+536 pp., pl. 607-633 [Val.]; 22, 1849: xx+532 pp., pl. 634-650 [Val.].

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