Polydactylus octonemus
Atlantic Threadfin
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Polynemidae (Threadfins)
Polydactylus
Polydactylus octonemus (Atlantic Threadfin)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
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Characters
8 detached rays in lower section of pectoral fin; maxilla extends well beyond eye with truncate posterior margin; teeth in upper jaw exposed when mouth is closed; vomer with villiform teeth; preoperculum margin serrated with large, flat spine and membranous flap at corner; opercular margin broadly rounded and entire; gill rakers on first arch 34-38; head length 29%-31% SL, snout length 5%-7% SL, eye diameter 5%-6% SL, upper jaw length 12%-13% SL, upper section of pectoral fin length 23%-27% SL, anal fin base 18%-21% SL, body depth 28%-30% SL, caudal peduncle depth 13%-15% SL; pectoral fin with 14-16 rays in upper section and 8 free, filamentous rays in lower section; first dorsal fin with 8 spines, second dorsal fin with 1 spine and 11 or 13 rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 12-14 rays; lateral line scales 56-64
Dull silvery, darker dorsally, grading to whitish ventrally; pectoral fin black; dorsal and anal fins dusky yellow and black distally
Distribution
Western Atlantic from New York to the southern Gulf of Mexico
Throughout Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Sandy and muddy bottoms in shallow water, between 5 and 22 m
Sandy and muddy bottoms
Biology
230 mm TL
Occurs on sand or mud bottoms and on beaches, especially on the surf (Ref. 57343).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2015-01-06. Resilience: High (tm<1).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Martin and Drewry 1978
Castro-Aguirre and Márquez-Espinoza 1981
Robins and Ray 1986
Dentzau and Chittenden 1990
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Feltes 2002
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Dentzau, M.W. and M.E. Chittenden Jr. (1990) Reproduction, movements, and apparent population dynamics of the Atlantic threadfin Polydactylus octonemus in the Gulf of Mexico. Fish. Bull. 88:439-462.
Motomura, H. (2004) Threadfins of the world (Family Polynemidae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of polynemid species known to date. FAO Spec. Cat. Fish. Purp. Rome: FAO. 3:117 p.
Comments On Polydactylus octonemus