Strongylura marina
(Walbaum 1792)
Family Belonidae
The Atlantic needlefish is a member of the needlefish family. It has between 213 and 304 tiny pre-dorsal scales, and dark pigment behind the eye that typically doesn’t extend below a line level with the middle of it. This species has between 16 and 20 anal rays and an overall slender and semicylindrical body. The Atlantic needlefish is a marine species that enters the surface waters of rivers, sloughs, canals and some lakes.
Status & distribution
- Status — Marine invader
- Florida Distribution — Western and North Central; Gulf Coast; South Florida; Atlantic Coast