Species Platybelone argalus (Lesueur, 1821)
Flat-tail Longtom, Flat-tailed Long Tom, Flat-tailed Long-tom, Flat-tailed Longtom, Keeltail Needlefish, Needlefish
- Belona argalus Lesueur, C.A. 1821. Observations on several genera and species of fish belonging to the natural family of the esoces. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 2(1): 124-138 [125, pl.].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, island of Guadaloupe, West Indies. - Belone platyura Bennett, E.T. 1832. Observations on a collection of fishes from Mauritius, presented by Mr Telfair, with characters of new genera and species, remaining portion. Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London 1: 165-169 [dated 1830–1831] [168] [some authors regard this as a valid species].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Mauritius. - Platybelone dorsalis Whitley, G.P. 1932. Studies in Ichthyology No. 6. Records of the Australian Museum 18(6): 321-348 figs 1-3 pls 36-39 [335] [based on specimen mentioned in Günther, A. 1909. Andrew Garrett's Fische der Südsee. Heft 8. Journal des Museum Godeffroy 6(16): 261–388 figs 141–160 [349]].
Type data:
Holotype BMNH 1855.9.19.1087 (also a syntype of Belone persimilis), north-western Australia. - Belone persimilis Günther, A. 1909. Andrew Garrett's Fische der Südsee. Heft 8. Journal des Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg 6(16): 261-388 figs 141-160 [349].
Type data:
Syntype(s) BMNH 1883.12.15.96-97, Hawaii; BMNH, Tonga; BMNH, Yap Island; BMNH 1855.9.19.1087 (also holotype of Platybelone dorsalis Whitley, 1932), north-west Australia.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Parin, N.V. 1967. Review of marine belonids of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Trudy Instituta Okeanologii. Akademiya Nauk SSSR. Moskva 84: 3-83 figs 1-25 [in Russian] [13]
- Collette, B.B. 2003. Family Belonidae Bonaparte 1832 — needlefishes. California Academy of Sciences Annotated Checklists of Fishes 16: 1-22 [4]
Generic Combinations
- Platybelone argalus (Lesueur, 1821). —
Collette, B.B. & Berry, F.H. 1965. Recent studies on the needlefishes (Belonidae) : an evaluation. Copeia 1965(3): 386-392 [391] (changed combination cited) - Eurycaulus persimilis (Günther, 1909). —
Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [54] - Platybelone platyura (Bennett, 1821). —
Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls. [40]
Miscellaneous Literature Names
- Platybelone argala (Lesueur, 1821). —
Gill, A.C. & Reader, S.E. 1992. Fishes. pp. 90-93, 193-228 in Hutchings, P. (ed.). Reef Biology. A Survey of Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, South Pacific. Canberra : Australian National Parks Vol. 3, Kowari 230 pp. [198] (treaded species name as adjective; most authors treat as noun presumably named after the Greek Argalus) - Tylosurus depressus (Poey, 1860) [misidentification of species now regarded as a junior synonym of the Western Atlantic species Strongylura timucu (Walbaum 1792)]. —
McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part I. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 1–144
Introduction
Collette (1999) treated the population from the east-Indo-west-central Pacific as Platybelone argalus platyura. Other workers have treated the Australian population as Platybelone platyura (see Allen 1997).
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
North of Barrow Island, WA (20º29'S), 115º30'E) to Scott Reef, WA and Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea and Yonge Reef, QLD (14°35'S), Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, Tasman Sea, Osprey Reef, Holmes Reef and Marion Reef, Coral Sea; tropical, circumglobal.
IMCRA
Lord Howe Province (14), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Timor Province (2), Cape Province (20), Norfolk Island Province (21), Cocos (Keeling) Island Province (22), Christmas Island Province (23), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)
Other Regions
Coral Sea Islands Territory, Territory of Ashmore & Cartier Islands
Distribution References
- Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91 [73]
- Allen, G.R., Hoese, D.F., Paxton, J.R., Randall, J.E., Russell, B.C., Starck, W.A., Talbot, F.H. & Whitley, G.P. 1976. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Lord Howe Island. Records of the Australian Museum 30(15): 365-454 figs 1-2 [387]
- Allen, G.R. & Russell, B.C. 1986. Part VII Fishes. pp. 79-103 in Berry, P.F. (ed.). Faunal Surveys of the Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef and Seringapatam Reef, northwestern Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 25: 1-106 [81]
- Choat, J.H., van Herwerden, L., Robbins, W.D., Hobbs, J.P. & Ayling, A.M. 2006. A report on the ecological surveys undertaken at Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, February 2006. Report by James Cook University to the Department of the Environment and Heritage. 65 pp. [52] (as P. argala)
- Gill, A.C. & Reader, S.E. 1992. Fishes. pp. 90-93, 193-228 in Hutchings, P. (ed.). Reef Biology. A Survey of Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, South Pacific. Canberra : Australian National Parks Vol. 3, Kowari 230 pp. [198] (as P. argala)
- Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S.J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Checklist and new records of Christmas Island fishes: the influence of isolation, biogeography and habitat availability on species abundance and community composition. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 184–202 [192]
- Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S .J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands: new records, community composition and biogeographic significance. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 203–219 [209]
Ecological Descriptors
Coral reef, pelagic.
Extra Ecological Information
1-30 m, often in offshore waers
General References
Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. [64] (as Platybelone platyura)
Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21 [7]
Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls. [40] (as Platybelone platyura)
Collette, B.B. 1999. Family Belonidae. pp. 2151-2161 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2155] (as Platybelone argalus platyura)
Collette, B.B. & Parin, N.V. 1970. Needlefishes (Belonidae) of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Atlantide Report 11: 7-60 figs 1-13 (for subspecies)
Francis, M. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170 figs 1-2 [159]
Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp. [105] (as Eurycaulus persimilis)
Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 63: 9-50 [24]
McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part I. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 1–144 [100] (100, as Tylosurus depressus; 101, as Belone persimilis)
Mees, G.F. 1962. A preliminary revision of the Belonidae. Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 54: 1-96 figs 1-11 pl. 1 (70, as Belona argalus; 58, as Belone platyura)
Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [54] (387)
Paxton, J.R., J.E. Gates, D.J. Bray & D.F. Hoese 2006. Belonidae. pp. 715-720 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [716]
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs. [58] (as Platybelone argalus platyura)
Struthers, C.D. 2015. Families Belonidae, Scomberesocidae. pp. 949-953 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 3 pp. 577-1152. [951]
Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [38] (562, as Belone platyura)
Common Name References
Coleman, N. 1981. Australian Sea Fishes North of 30°S. Lane Cove, NSW : Doubleday Australia Pty Ltd 297 pp. [39] (Needlefish)
Collette, B.B. 1999. Family Belonidae. pp. 2151-2161 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2155] (FAO) (Keeltail Needlefish)
Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp. [105] (Flat-tailed Long-tom)
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs. [58] (Flat-tailed Longtom)
Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Flat-tail Longtom)
Whitley, G.P. 1947. Long toms. Australian Museum Magazine 9(5): 169-173 [172] (Flat-tailed Long Tom)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29-Mar-2018 | BELONIFORMES | 22-Mar-2018 | MODIFIED | Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM) |
| 27-Jul-2010 | MODIFIED |