113: BELONIDAE (NEEDLEFISHES)
leap and skitter at the surface; at night they are attracted by
lights. Minor commercial importance; flesh excellent in
flavour although some people have misgivings about eating
it owing to the green bones. Maximum size ranges from 4
cm body length for some freshwater species to over 90 cm
body length in some marine species (over 125 cm standard
length). Body length (BL), the distance from the posterior
opercular margin to the caudal base, is used as the base
measurement instead of standard length because the beaks
are broken on many specimens. Ten genera, with a total of
32 species. There have been extensive changes since the
family was reviewed by Mees (1962, 1964). Indo-West
Pacific species were reviewed by Parin (1967) and eastern
Atlantic species by Collette and Parin (1970).
KEY TO GENERA
1a GR well-developed, 27-35 on first gill arch . ....... Petalichthys
1b GR absent . ................ . . . ....... . .... .. .. 2
2a Drays 18-21; Prays 11-12; predorsal scales 120-160 .. Strongylura
2b D 21-24; Prays 13-15; predorsal scales 270-400 ............ 3
3a Head and body strongly compressed; several prominent
black vertical bars present on body ; A rays 25-27 . . . .. Ablennes
3b Head and body not compressed ; no prominent black
bars on body; A rays 19-24 ..... ..... .. .. .. . . . Tylosurus
Genus Ablennes Jordan & Fordice, 1886
Monotypic.
113.1 Ablennes hians
(Valenciennes, 1846)
PLATE 16
Barred needlefish
Balk-naaldvis
Belone hians Valenciennes , in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 432, PI. 548 (Bahia ,
Brazil) . Ablennes hians: Smith , SFSA No. 226*; Collette & Parin , 1970:
37*; van der Elst, 1981: 107*.
113.1 Ablennes hians: 45 em (drawn by Mildred H. Carrington).
113.2 Petalichthys capensis: 28 em (Knysna).
386
D 22-25; A 25-27 ; P 13-15; vertebrae 87-93 . Depth 9.1-10.3; head about
2.4 in BL.
Generally dark bluish above, silvery white below with
variable number of elongate black blotches on middle of
body. Attains 90 cm BL (over 120 cm SL). Previously
reported from Natal, now known to occur south to Algoa
Bay. Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters; in the
Atlantic, extending south to Mocamedes, southern Angola.
Genus Petalichthys Regan, 1904
Monotypic.
113.2 Petalichthys capensis
Regan, 1904
Cape needlefish
Kaapse naaldvis
Petalichthys capensis Regan, 1904: 129 (Port Elizabeth); Smith , SFSA
No. 225*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 86*; Day, Field & Penrith, 1970: 91.
Belone megalolepis, nom. nov. , Mees, 1962: 51.
D 16-19; A 21-23; P 10-12; GR (4-5)+(24-30) = 27-35 ; vertebrae
(45-46)+(26-27) = 71-73 . Depth 9.1-12.6, head 2.0-2.6 in BL.
Bluish above , silvery below. Attains 26 cm BL (35 cm
SL). South African endemic, found shoaling offshore from
False Bay to Pondoland.
Genus Strongylura van Hasselt, 1823
Fourteen species; 1 in our area. S. senegalensis (Valenciennes, 1846): Smith, SFSA No. 227 is found along the
coast of west Africa south to Angola. The types of a
synonym, Belone capensis Gunther, 1866 were supposed to
have come from the Cape of Good Hope; but as there are
no subsequent records south of Angola, the locality data for
these specimens is likely in error. S. senegalensis differs
from S. leiura in having fewer fin rays (0 13-16, A 15-18)
and vertebrae (62-67).
leap and skitter at the surface; at night they are attracted by
lights. Minor commercial importance; flesh excellent in
flavour although some people have misgivings about eating
it owing to the green bones. Maximum size ranges from 4
cm body length for some freshwater species to over 90 cm
body length in some marine species (over 125 cm standard
length). Body length (BL), the distance from the posterior
opercular margin to the caudal base, is used as the base
measurement instead of standard length because the beaks
are broken on many specimens. Ten genera, with a total of
32 species. There have been extensive changes since the
family was reviewed by Mees (1962, 1964). Indo-West
Pacific species were reviewed by Parin (1967) and eastern
Atlantic species by Collette and Parin (1970).
KEY TO GENERA
1a GR well-developed, 27-35 on first gill arch . ....... Petalichthys
1b GR absent . ................ . . . ....... . .... .. .. 2
2a Drays 18-21; Prays 11-12; predorsal scales 120-160 .. Strongylura
2b D 21-24; Prays 13-15; predorsal scales 270-400 ............ 3
3a Head and body strongly compressed; several prominent
black vertical bars present on body ; A rays 25-27 . . . .. Ablennes
3b Head and body not compressed ; no prominent black
bars on body; A rays 19-24 ..... ..... .. .. .. . . . Tylosurus
Genus Ablennes Jordan & Fordice, 1886
Monotypic.
113.1 Ablennes hians
(Valenciennes, 1846)
PLATE 16
Barred needlefish
Balk-naaldvis
Belone hians Valenciennes , in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 432, PI. 548 (Bahia ,
Brazil) . Ablennes hians: Smith , SFSA No. 226*; Collette & Parin , 1970:
37*; van der Elst, 1981: 107*.
113.1 Ablennes hians: 45 em (drawn by Mildred H. Carrington).
113.2 Petalichthys capensis: 28 em (Knysna).
386
D 22-25; A 25-27 ; P 13-15; vertebrae 87-93 . Depth 9.1-10.3; head about
2.4 in BL.
Generally dark bluish above, silvery white below with
variable number of elongate black blotches on middle of
body. Attains 90 cm BL (over 120 cm SL). Previously
reported from Natal, now known to occur south to Algoa
Bay. Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters; in the
Atlantic, extending south to Mocamedes, southern Angola.
Genus Petalichthys Regan, 1904
Monotypic.
113.2 Petalichthys capensis
Regan, 1904
Cape needlefish
Kaapse naaldvis
Petalichthys capensis Regan, 1904: 129 (Port Elizabeth); Smith , SFSA
No. 225*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 86*; Day, Field & Penrith, 1970: 91.
Belone megalolepis, nom. nov. , Mees, 1962: 51.
D 16-19; A 21-23; P 10-12; GR (4-5)+(24-30) = 27-35 ; vertebrae
(45-46)+(26-27) = 71-73 . Depth 9.1-12.6, head 2.0-2.6 in BL.
Bluish above , silvery below. Attains 26 cm BL (35 cm
SL). South African endemic, found shoaling offshore from
False Bay to Pondoland.
Genus Strongylura van Hasselt, 1823
Fourteen species; 1 in our area. S. senegalensis (Valenciennes, 1846): Smith, SFSA No. 227 is found along the
coast of west Africa south to Angola. The types of a
synonym, Belone capensis Gunther, 1866 were supposed to
have come from the Cape of Good Hope; but as there are
no subsequent records south of Angola, the locality data for
these specimens is likely in error. S. senegalensis differs
from S. leiura in having fewer fin rays (0 13-16, A 15-18)
and vertebrae (62-67).