The morphological characteristics of banded needlefish Strongylura leiura (Bleeker, 1850) dwelling in the coastal water of Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh city

Abstract

The banded needlefish (Strongylura leiura) dwells in the coastal waters of Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh city, with the local name “blue-bone fish”. Study results on the morphological characteristics of 70 individuals showed that the total length and weight of fish varied from 410 to 1,060 mm (average 741.71 mm), 90-2,600 gr (average 618.73 gr), respectively. There were 17-24 dorsal fin rays, 22-29 anal fin rays, 12-19 pectoral fin rays, and small and low pelvic fins with 9-13 rays. The lateral scales with 192-427 small scales indicated the growth of this fish in the coastal waters of Can Gio, with the growth value b ranging from 3.431-3.501 and R²
values ranging from 0.875-0.926...