Author: (Lacepède, 1803)
Tylosurus acus (Lacepede, 1803)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Tylosurus acus (Lacepède, 1803) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: head 3.1-3.3 in BL. Length of pectoral fins 8.0-12.4 and length of pelvic fins 10.0-14.1 in BL. Height of anterior dorsal fin lobe 10.5-13.3 and height of anterior anal fin lobe 9.7-11.7 in BL. Dorsal finrays 20-27; anal finrays 18-24; pectoral finrays 12-14. Predorsal scales 260-430. Vertebrae 74-96. Size: to 95 cm BL, which equals about 140 cm SL.
Habitat: epipelagic, neritic. Food: small fishes. Reproduction: no data.
Distribution: off Morocco and in the Mediterranean. Elsewhere, in tropical and subtropical seas.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.
Subspecies
Tylosurus acus imperialis (Rafinesque, 1810): vertebrae (93-96, x 94.2); predorsal scales (360-430, x 397.0); dorsal finrays 23-26; anal finrays 22-23. Occurs in the Mediterranean and off Morocco and Cape Verde Is. The remaining 4 subspecies all occur outside the Clofnam area.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. D'Ancona, 1931: 160-161, pl. 9 (fig. 10-12).
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.