Tylosurus acus explained

Tylosurus acus (keel-jawed needlefish) is a game fish of the family Belonidae.

Distribution

The keel-jawed needlefish is widespread in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans.^[1]

Taxonomy

There are four recognised subspecies of Tylosurus acus:

• T. a. acus (Lacepède, 1803) (Agujon needlefish) - in the western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil and in the eastern Atlantic off Morocco and in the western Mediterranean
• T. a. imperialis (Rafinesque, 1810) in the Mediterranean Sea and Cape Verde Islands
• T. a. rafale Collette and Parin 1970 (Atlantic agujon needlefish) Gulf of Guinea
• T. a melanotus (Bleeker, 1850) (Keel-jawed needlefish) in the Indo-West Pacific and oceanic islands in the eastern tropical Pacific Revillagigedo Islands, Clipperton Island, and Cocos Island.

Tylosurus pacificus was once considered a subspecies of T. acus but is now considered a distinct species.^[2] Although acus was suppressed by ICZN Opinion 900, continued usage of the name led to Tylosurus acus being reinstated as a valid name.^{[3] [4]} Some authorities raise the four subspecies to species level.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Species Tylosurus acus Lacepède 1803 . 1803 . FishWisePro . 19 April 2020.
2. Collette, B. B. and H. M. Banford 2001. Status of the eastern Pacific agujon needlefish Tylosurus pacificus (Steindachner, 1876) (Beloniformes: Belonidae). Revista de Biología Tropical v. 49 (Suppl. 1): 51-57.
3. Collette, B. B. 1970. Three specific names in the family Belonidae (Pisces): suppressed under the plenary powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature v. 26 (no. 5-6): 213-216.
4. OPINION 2169 (Case 3297) Sphyraena acus Lacépède, 1803 (currently Tylosurus acus; Teleostei, BELONIDAE): reinstated as a valid name. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 2007 64:75-76.