Southern sennet

Southern sennet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Scombriformes
Family:Sphyraenidae
Genus:Sphyraena
Species: S. picudilla
Binomial name
Sphyraena picudilla
Poey, 1860

The southern sennet (Sphyraena picudilla) is an ocean-going species of game fish in the barracuda family, Sphyraenidae. It was described by the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey. The description was part of a two-volume work, which Poey published in 1860, entitled Historia Natural de la Isla de Cuba or Natural History of the Island of Cuba. Southern sennet are sometimes used as a food fish, and marketed either fresh or frozen.[1] Although they are generally harmless, Southern sennet have been linked to ciguatera poisoning.[2]

Description

Southern sennet, like other members of the family Sphyraenidae, possess elongated bodies, pike-like heads, and large jaws.[3] The lower jaw protrudes slightly from the upper jaw, both of which contain fang-like teeth.[3] They have two dorsal fins, which are widely separated on their backs. The anterior dorsal fin usually possesses spines, while the posterior only has rays.[3] Southern sennet have six spines, and 9 rays on their dorsal fins. they have only two spines and 9 rays on their anal fins.[1] The longest recorded southern sennet was 2 ft long;[4] the greatest recorded weight was 2 lbs 8 oz.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Southern sennet are known only from the western Atlantic Ocean from Bermuda, Florida, and the Bahamas south to Uruguay.[1] They are found in tropical climates from 32°N to 38°S. Southern sennet live in coastal waters near reefs, although they are more common over muddy bottoms,[5] at depths from 1–65 m,[6] where they often occur in large schools near the surface.[6] Juveniles are commonly found over beds of seagrasses.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2009). "Sphyraena picudilla" in FishBase. 07 2009 version.
  2. ↑ Dammann, A.E. 1969 Study of the fisheries potential of the Virgin Islands. Special Report. Contribution No. 1. Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station.
  3. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Sphyraenidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.
  4. 1 2 IGFA 2001 Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
  5. ↑ Lieske, E. and R. Myers 1994 Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
  6. 1 2 3 Cervigón, F. 1993 Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p
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