Sphyraena stellata Morishita & Motomura, 2020
Yellow-striped barracuda
Sphyraena stellata
photo by Motomura, H.

Family:  Sphyraenidae (Barracudas)
Max. size:  58.7 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range 10 - 40 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: widely distributed; Madagascar and the Maldives to Hawaii and Easter Island; north to Japan; south to Australia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 8-8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: first gill arch with one gill raker; pelvic-fin insertion is located slightly before vertical through first dorsal-fin origin; pored lateral-line scales 134-141 (modally 137), total lateral-line scales 139-148 (146); scales above 15-17 (15) and below 4-16 (15) the lateral; snout is comparatively short, its length 13.6-15.8 (mean 14.4) % SL; upper jaw is short, its posterior tip not reaching to below anterior nostril, its length 10.0-12.2 (10.8) % SL; eye small, with orbit diameter and depth 4.3-7.0 (4.9) % and 3.9-5.6 (4.5) % SL, respectively; anal-fin base with length 6.9-8.1 (7.5) % SL; length of last dorsal-fin 4.0-5.6 (4.7) % SL, anal-fin ray 3.6-5.6 (4.6) % SL; anus is not close to anal-fin origin, anterior and posterior margins of anus to anal-fin origin 7.5-11.9 (9.9) % and 5.2-8.3 (6.8) % HL, respectively; head sensory canal pores on suborbital area are simple or poorly branched, their lowermost parts not close to lacrimal bone margin, large smooth area lacking canal pores present on mid-margin of lacrimal bone. Colouration: yellow stripes on lateral body surface two (remaining as black stripes in preserved specimens); caudal fin gray (Ref. 123366).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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