Name: Black-backed round-jawed needlefish Scientific name: Tylosurus melanotus (Bleeker)

Subject: jawed needlefish Family English name: Belonidae

Overview:

The body is elongated cylindrical, slightly laterally compressed. Both upper and lower jaws are extended rostrally. The large maxillary teeth are vertical. Dorsal fin rays 23-25, posterior dorsal fin rays short; caudal fin forked. Lateral line scales form a raised ridge on either side of the caudal peduncle.

Warm-water pelagic fish. Body length is generally 680 to 1040 millimeters. Aggressive, often chasing small fish in the upper layers of the water.

Distributed in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. China is mostly found in the South China Sea, in the Bohai Bay and the Yellow Sea is also found. Sharp-billed flat-jawed needlefish A. anastomella (CuvieretValenciennes); Pacificneedlefish, Greengars, Needlefish

Also known as flat-jawed needlefish, flat-jawed hemiramphis, needle goodfish.　　Dorsal fin 18-20; anal fin 23-24; pectoral fin 11-12; ventral fin 6. Lateral line scales 229-286, body length 14.5-24 times body height; 3-3.3 times head length. 3.3 times. Body height 1.3-1.6 times body width. Body elongate, laterally compressed, dorsal and ventral margins of carapace straight, parallel to each other. Body not very high. Head long, flattened at top of forehead. The muzzle is particularly prominent. A slender rostrum is formed by the premaxilla and mandible. Eyes equal in size. Lateral superior position. Mouth horizontal, with a long slit. Mandibles slightly larger than maxillae. Both jaws with fine sharp teeth, arranged in bands, with a lateral row of sparsely arranged canines. Gill filaments well developed. No gill rakers. Dorsal and anal fins are long and located at the back of the body. Pectoral fins are small and high. Ventral fins are located posterior to the abdomen. The caudal fin is truncate with a slightly concave posterior margin. The dorsal surface of the body is emerald green, the underside of the body and the abdomen are silvery white, and the dorsal midline of the body has a wide dark green longitudinal band. The skeleton is bright green. The body length is 828mm, and it is a warm-water pelagic fish, living in the shallow sea and estuaries, and can enter the freshwater of rivers and estuaries with the high tide. It is an offshore food fish. Summer production is high, edible, fresh meat tender flavor, popular with coastal residents. early May to the end of June in the Yellow Bohai Sea area spawning. Distributed in China Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the South China Sea; abroad in North Korea, Japan coast.