Banded needlefish (Strongylura leiura)
Image source: Alexandra Hoschke | inaturalist.org
General data
- Main name: Banded needlefish
- Local names: Slender longtom, Needlefish, Littoral needlefish, Littoral needle fish, Hornpike long-tom, Banded needle fish
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Africa, Asia, Australia & Oceania
- Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean
Classification
- Genus: Strongylura - Strongylura
- Family: Belonidae - Needlefishes
- Order: Beloniformes - Needlefishes
- Class: Actinopteri - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Strongylura strongylura, the spottail needlefish or blackspot longtom, is a species of needlefish from the family Belonidae. It is found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans from the Persian Gulf east to Australia and the Philippines.
This species occurs in coastal waters and in mangrove-lined lagoons as well as being recorded in estuarine areas and it has even entered freshwater.
Living S. strongylura have been found alive and buried in mud during low tide.
It is piscivorous, feeding mainly on clupeoids.