Biology:Strongylura

Strongylura is a genus of needlefishes from the family Belonidae which is distributed throughout the tropical and warmer temperate waters of the world, including some species which live in freshwater.

Species

Currently, there are 14 recognized species in this genus:

• Strongylura anastomella (Valenciennes, 1846)
• Strongylura exilis (Girard, 1854) (Californian needlefish)
• Strongylura fluviatilis (Regan, 1903)
• Strongylura hubbsi Collette, 1974 (Maya needlefish)
• Strongylura incisa (Valenciennes, 1846) (reef needlefish)
• Strongylura krefftii (Günther, 1866) (long tom)
• Strongylura leiura (Bleeker, 1850) (banded needlefish)
• Strongylura marina (Walbaum, 1792) (Atlantic needlefish)
• Strongylura notata (Poey, 1860)
  • S. n. forsythia Breder, 1932
  • S. n. notata (Poey, 1860) (redfin needlefish)
• Strongylura scapularis (D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert, 1882) (shoulderspot needlefish)
• Strongylura senegalensis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Senegal needlefish)
• Strongylura strongylura (van Hasselt, 1823) (spottail needlefish)
• Strongylura timucu (Walbaum, 1792) (timucu)
• Strongylura urvillii (Valenciennes, 1846) (Urville's longtom)

Strongylura is thought to not be monophyletic; the following cladogram is based on a phylogenetic analysis of both genetics and morphology by Lovejoy (2007), with Strongylura being represented as polyphyletic with respects to other belonids:

Belonidae

Strongylura notata               Ablennes     Tylosurus           Strongylura strongylura     Strongylura leiura       Xenentodon         Strongylura krefftii       Strongylura incisa               Strongylura timucu     Strongylura senegalensis               Strongylura marina     Strongylura exilis       Strongylura hubbsi           Pseudotylosurus     Strongylura scapularis       Strongylura fluviatilis           Potamorrhaphis     Belonion           Platybelone         Belone     Scomberesocidae

References

Wikidata ☰ Q2368588 entry