Strongylura timucu
(Walbaum 1792)
Family Belonidae

Lateral view of a Timucú
The Timucú pictured above was collected in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 2015. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 237861. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The Timucú needlefish is a member of the needlefish family. It has a slender, semicylindrical and elongate body. This species has between 120 and 185 pre-dorsal scales and dark pigment behind the eye in a diffuse stripe. The lower edge of this stripe extends to a line level with the lower margin of the eye, and the preorbital bone is densely pigmented. The Timucú is a marine species that enters surface waters of rivers, sloughs, canals and some lakes.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Marine invader
  • Florida Distribution — Western and North Central drainages, the Gulf Coast and in South Florida
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