Flat needlefish (Ablennes hians) fish species and information / pictures of Flat needlefish - Ablennes hians

Flat needlefish (Ablennes hians) fish species information

Scientific Name
Ablennes hians

Common Name
Flat needlefish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23-26; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 24 - 28; Vertebrae: 86 - 93. Dark bluish dorsally, silvery white ventrally with black blotches on middle of body (Ref. 5317). Body greatly compressed laterally; anterior parts of dorsal and anal fins with high falcate lobes. Pectoral fins falcate; about 12-14 prominent dark vertical bars on body; juveniles and adults have an elevated black lobe in the posterior part of the dorsal fin.

Classification

Classified By

Valenciennes, 1846

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Needle fishes (Beloniformes)

Family

Needlefishes (Belonidae)

Distribution

Region

Worldwide distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters. Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Worldwide distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters. Eastern Atlantic: Cape Verde and Dakar to Mo?amedes, Angola (Ref. 5757); ranging further south to Namibia (Ref. 12484). Western Atlantic: Chesapeake Bay (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil (Ref. 7251). Throughout the Indian Ocean. Western Pacific: off coasts and islands from southern Japan through the East Indies to Australia (Ref. 9682). Reported from Tuvalu (Ref. 12690). Eastern Pacific: Mexico to Peru. Entire Caribbean, Antilles and South American coast to Rio de Janeiro (Ref. 26938).

Range

38°N - 37°S, 180°W - 180°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

3 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 3 m (Ref. 58047)

Trophic Level

4.5 s.e. 0.80 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

140 cm

Common Length

70.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 1.0000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (40 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3; K=0.6)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated