Order BELONIFORMES
Body elongate; dorsal and anal fins on rear half of body;
pelvic fins abdominal, with 6 soft-rays; fin spines absent;
scales thin, cycloid; lateral line running along ventral edge
of body; lower pharyngeal bones fused into a triangular
plate; the first and fourth pharyngobranchials, interhyal
and all infraorbital bones except the first are absent.
The Beloniformes is one of the three orders that constitute the Atherinomorpha (Rosen & Parenti, 1981); the
other two orders are the Atheriniformes and the Cyprinodontiformes. The atherinomorph fishes are distinguished by the unique structure of their upper jaw, which
has the rostral cartilage separate from the premaxillae,
crossed palatomaxillary ligaments and a maxillary ligament
to the cranium; the eggs are large, demersal, provided with
adhesive filaments (lacking in Exocoetus and in most scomberesocids) and have many oil droplets at the vegetative
pole; (Collette et al., 1984; Rosen & Parenti, 1981).
Atherinomorphs are further characterised by a unique
structure of their testes in which the spermatogonia are confined to the terminus of the tubules (Grier, 1981) .
Rosen and Parenti (1981) recognise 5 families in the
Order Beloniformes; the Family Adrianichthyidae is restricted to brackish and freshwaters of Asia. The Suborder
Exocoetoidei is divided into the Superfamily Exocoetoidea
(Hemiramphidae + Exocoetidae) and the Superfamily
Scomberesocoidea (Belonidae + Scomberesocidae).
KEY TO FAMILIES
la Lower jaw elongated or not; pectoral and/or pelvic
fins often enlarged; rostral bones separate ........... ... .... .... ... ..... 2
Ib Both jaws elongated; paired fins not enlarged;
rostral bones joined by sutures .......................... ................... 3
Family No. 113: BELONIDAE
by B.B. Collette
Needlefishes
Naaldvisse
Body elongate, subcylindrical or laterally compressed.
No spines in fins; dorsal and anal fins posterior in position;
their bases opposite. Pelvic fins abdominal, with 6 soft-rays.
Pectoral fins high on sides, short. Caudal fin forked or
emarginate. Both upper and lower jaws extended into long
beaks. Teeth moderate to large, needle-like. Lower
2a Lower jaw elongated (except in adults of
Oxyporhamphus); upper jaw triangular, projecting
forward from snout; pectoral fins shorter than
head measured from tip of upper jaw (except in
Euleptorhamphus) ... ................. HEMIRAMPHIDAE (No. 115)
- 115=~ =-- ®~ -- ---~
2b Jaws not elongated or projecting forward
from snout; pectoral fins longer than
head ................ .. ......................... EXOCOETIDAE (No. 116)
3a Dorsal and anal fins with 4-6 separate finlets behind;
jaws subequal to or shorter than head measured
from corner of mouth ............. SCOMBERESOCIDAE (No. 114)
~~ ' ._.h'_ ' __ ' __ ' ~
114
'
• -
3b No finlets behind dorsal and anal fins; jaws
longer than head measured from corner of
mouth ....... .. , ................ ................. BELONIDAE (No. 113)
pharyngeal bones fused into a triangular plate; third pair of
upper pharyngeal bones separate. Gill-rakers present or
absent. Nasal organ a pit with protruding tentacle. Lateral
line beginning on throat, running along ventral margin of
body with a branch to pectoral fin origin. Scales small,
cycloid, easily detached. Vertebrae 51-97.
Epipelagic, most species marine (mostly neritic), but in
tropics some occur in freshwater. Carnivorous, feeding
largely on small fishes which they catch sideways in their
beaks. Eggs have sticky filaments which attach to floating or
anchored vegetation; larvae pelagic. Needlefishes tend to
385
Body elongate; dorsal and anal fins on rear half of body;
pelvic fins abdominal, with 6 soft-rays; fin spines absent;
scales thin, cycloid; lateral line running along ventral edge
of body; lower pharyngeal bones fused into a triangular
plate; the first and fourth pharyngobranchials, interhyal
and all infraorbital bones except the first are absent.
The Beloniformes is one of the three orders that constitute the Atherinomorpha (Rosen & Parenti, 1981); the
other two orders are the Atheriniformes and the Cyprinodontiformes. The atherinomorph fishes are distinguished by the unique structure of their upper jaw, which
has the rostral cartilage separate from the premaxillae,
crossed palatomaxillary ligaments and a maxillary ligament
to the cranium; the eggs are large, demersal, provided with
adhesive filaments (lacking in Exocoetus and in most scomberesocids) and have many oil droplets at the vegetative
pole; (Collette et al., 1984; Rosen & Parenti, 1981).
Atherinomorphs are further characterised by a unique
structure of their testes in which the spermatogonia are confined to the terminus of the tubules (Grier, 1981) .
Rosen and Parenti (1981) recognise 5 families in the
Order Beloniformes; the Family Adrianichthyidae is restricted to brackish and freshwaters of Asia. The Suborder
Exocoetoidei is divided into the Superfamily Exocoetoidea
(Hemiramphidae + Exocoetidae) and the Superfamily
Scomberesocoidea (Belonidae + Scomberesocidae).
KEY TO FAMILIES
la Lower jaw elongated or not; pectoral and/or pelvic
fins often enlarged; rostral bones separate ........... ... .... .... ... ..... 2
Ib Both jaws elongated; paired fins not enlarged;
rostral bones joined by sutures .......................... ................... 3
Family No. 113: BELONIDAE
by B.B. Collette
Needlefishes
Naaldvisse
Body elongate, subcylindrical or laterally compressed.
No spines in fins; dorsal and anal fins posterior in position;
their bases opposite. Pelvic fins abdominal, with 6 soft-rays.
Pectoral fins high on sides, short. Caudal fin forked or
emarginate. Both upper and lower jaws extended into long
beaks. Teeth moderate to large, needle-like. Lower
2a Lower jaw elongated (except in adults of
Oxyporhamphus); upper jaw triangular, projecting
forward from snout; pectoral fins shorter than
head measured from tip of upper jaw (except in
Euleptorhamphus) ... ................. HEMIRAMPHIDAE (No. 115)
- 115=~ =-- ®~ -- ---~
2b Jaws not elongated or projecting forward
from snout; pectoral fins longer than
head ................ .. ......................... EXOCOETIDAE (No. 116)
3a Dorsal and anal fins with 4-6 separate finlets behind;
jaws subequal to or shorter than head measured
from corner of mouth ............. SCOMBERESOCIDAE (No. 114)
~~ ' ._.h'_ ' __ ' __ ' ~
114
'
• -
3b No finlets behind dorsal and anal fins; jaws
longer than head measured from corner of
mouth ....... .. , ................ ................. BELONIDAE (No. 113)
pharyngeal bones fused into a triangular plate; third pair of
upper pharyngeal bones separate. Gill-rakers present or
absent. Nasal organ a pit with protruding tentacle. Lateral
line beginning on throat, running along ventral margin of
body with a branch to pectoral fin origin. Scales small,
cycloid, easily detached. Vertebrae 51-97.
Epipelagic, most species marine (mostly neritic), but in
tropics some occur in freshwater. Carnivorous, feeding
largely on small fishes which they catch sideways in their
beaks. Eggs have sticky filaments which attach to floating or
anchored vegetation; larvae pelagic. Needlefishes tend to
385