Redfin Needlefish

Description

Fully grown adults can reach a length of 61 centimetres (24 in).

Habitat

The species mostly inhabits marine and brackish waters and may enter freshwater habitats.

Distribution

The nominate subspecies, S. n. notata, occurs in the Western Central Atlantic around Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras, and has also been reported from Bermuda. S. n. forsythia has been reported from the Bahamas, southern Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico west to Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Additional field notes

Redfin needlefish is a near-surface coastal fish with a very long, tooth-bearing beak. The colored rear fins are an identification clue worth checking alongside the shape of the jaws.

Sources: Strongylura notata species account

Field identification notes

Both jaws are greatly elongated and lined with numerous sharp teeth. The dorsal and anal fins sit far back on the slender body and have relatively low front lobes. The tail is only slightly concave rather than deeply forked. Blue-green upperparts contrast with pink to orange dorsal, anal, and tail fins.

Sources: Strongylura notata species account

Habitat and range notes

Coastal water and mangroves are the habitats described in the Smithsonian account. The regional distribution includes the southeastern United States, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and southwestern Caribbean. Its depth category is shallow, from the surface to about five meters.

Sources: Strongylura notata species account

Feeding and life-history notes

The account lists small fishes and crustaceans among the foods. It recognizes two subspecies, including the Florida and Bahamas form Strongylura notata forsythia. A long beak identifies the needlefish outline, but the fin color, tail shape, and other structural details help narrow it to this species.

Sources: Strongylura notata species account