SPHYRAENA FORSTERI - (CUVIER, 1829)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Carangiformes (Order) > Centropomoidei (Suborder) > Sphyraenidae (Family) > Sphyraena (Genus)
Bécune de Forster, Barracuda de Forster, Bigeye barracuda, Big-eye sea-pyke, Forster's barracuda, Forster's sea-pike, Swartkol-barrakuda, Storøjet barracuda, Picuda de Forster, Ôme-kamasu, オオメカマス,
Synonymes
Callosphyraena toxeuma (Fowler, 1904)
Sphyraena forsteni (Cuvier, 1829)
Sphyraena toxeuma (Fowler, 1904)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9. Body elongate and sub cylindrical with small cycloid scales; Head long and pointed. Mouth large and horizontal, the tip of the lower jaw protruding; Intermaxilla non-protractile. Preoperculum broadly rounded. Lower limb of the first fill arch with spiny tubercles. First dorsal fin origin opposite or before the pectoral tip, the first spine shorter than the second. Dark green dorsally, silvery on sides, fading to white ventrally. Body without bars or stripes, small dusky spot present behind axil of pectoral fin. Caudal fin dark. Max length: 75.0 cm TL; Common length: 50.0 cm TL. Depth range: 6 - 300 m.
Body fusiform, its greatest depth: 7.0-7.2; Head: 3.0-3.4; Snout to first dorsal origin: 2.3-2.4; Distance between dorsal origins: 3.3-3.4 (all in the standard length). Snout: 2.1-2.2; Eye: 5.8-6.2; Least width of bony interobital space: 5.3-6.2; Postorbital length of head: 2.8-3.0; Length of maxillaries: 2.1-2.3; Least depth of caudal peduncle: 4.8-5.1; Distance between vertical lines through insertions of paired fins: 3.3-3.4 (all in length of head). Eye in postorbital length of head: 2.0-2.1. Distance between vertical lines through insertions of paired fins in postorbital length of head: 1.3-1.4. Distance between vertical lines through pectoral insertion and first dorsal origin: 1.2-1.3 in greatest depth.
The middle area of interorbital space flat to a little concave; Maxillary reaches to between nostrils but not quite to eye; A vertical line through first dorsal origin passes through tips or a little behind tips of pectoral, and notably behind pelvic base, pelvic fin inserted at a point posterior to pectoral base by from two-thirds to three-quarters the length of pectoral fin; Teeth in lower jaw slanting posteriorly; Projecting lower jaw with an elongate pointed fleshy tip; Opercle with only the lower spine pointed; Preopercle rounded; Last ray of soft dorsal and of anal greatly elongate, so that first rays do not reach tips of last rays when dorsal fin is depressed.
Etymology
Sphyraena: derived from the Greek, sphura = stinger, stake. Aristotle mentions the name of this fish only once (book IX - History of animals - chapter II). The name refers to the "muffle that he made like a stake".
forsteri: named for Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798), a German naturalist who travelled with Captain Cook on his second voyage in 1772.
Original description: Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier, 1829 - Type locality: New Guinea.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Southeast Asia and the Marquesan and Society islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia.
Biology
Nocturnally active, but occurring in large schools above lagoon patch reefs and along outer reef slopes during the day. Feeds mainly on fishes, but also on penaeid shrimps and squids. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning.
Bécune de Forster, Barracuda de Forster, Bigeye barracuda, Big-eye sea-pyke, Forster's barracuda, Forster's sea-pike, Swartkol-barrakuda, Storøjet barracuda, Picuda de Forster, Ôme-kamasu, オオメカマス,
Synonymes
Callosphyraena toxeuma (Fowler, 1904)
Sphyraena forsteni (Cuvier, 1829)
Sphyraena toxeuma (Fowler, 1904)
-----------------------------
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9. Body elongate and sub cylindrical with small cycloid scales; Head long and pointed. Mouth large and horizontal, the tip of the lower jaw protruding; Intermaxilla non-protractile. Preoperculum broadly rounded. Lower limb of the first fill arch with spiny tubercles. First dorsal fin origin opposite or before the pectoral tip, the first spine shorter than the second. Dark green dorsally, silvery on sides, fading to white ventrally. Body without bars or stripes, small dusky spot present behind axil of pectoral fin. Caudal fin dark. Max length: 75.0 cm TL; Common length: 50.0 cm TL. Depth range: 6 - 300 m.
Body fusiform, its greatest depth: 7.0-7.2; Head: 3.0-3.4; Snout to first dorsal origin: 2.3-2.4; Distance between dorsal origins: 3.3-3.4 (all in the standard length). Snout: 2.1-2.2; Eye: 5.8-6.2; Least width of bony interobital space: 5.3-6.2; Postorbital length of head: 2.8-3.0; Length of maxillaries: 2.1-2.3; Least depth of caudal peduncle: 4.8-5.1; Distance between vertical lines through insertions of paired fins: 3.3-3.4 (all in length of head). Eye in postorbital length of head: 2.0-2.1. Distance between vertical lines through insertions of paired fins in postorbital length of head: 1.3-1.4. Distance between vertical lines through pectoral insertion and first dorsal origin: 1.2-1.3 in greatest depth.
The middle area of interorbital space flat to a little concave; Maxillary reaches to between nostrils but not quite to eye; A vertical line through first dorsal origin passes through tips or a little behind tips of pectoral, and notably behind pelvic base, pelvic fin inserted at a point posterior to pectoral base by from two-thirds to three-quarters the length of pectoral fin; Teeth in lower jaw slanting posteriorly; Projecting lower jaw with an elongate pointed fleshy tip; Opercle with only the lower spine pointed; Preopercle rounded; Last ray of soft dorsal and of anal greatly elongate, so that first rays do not reach tips of last rays when dorsal fin is depressed.
Etymology
Sphyraena: derived from the Greek, sphura = stinger, stake. Aristotle mentions the name of this fish only once (book IX - History of animals - chapter II). The name refers to the "muffle that he made like a stake".
forsteri: named for Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798), a German naturalist who travelled with Captain Cook on his second voyage in 1772.
Original description: Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier, 1829 - Type locality: New Guinea.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Southeast Asia and the Marquesan and Society islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia.
Biology
Nocturnally active, but occurring in large schools above lagoon patch reefs and along outer reef slopes during the day. Feeds mainly on fishes, but also on penaeid shrimps and squids. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning.