{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | name = Southern sennet | image = | image_caption = | taxon = Sphyraena picudilla | authority = 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.<ref name = fishbase2>{{FishBase_species|genus=Sphyraena|species= picudilla|year=2009|month=07}}</ref> Although they are generally harmless, Southern sennet have been linked to ciguatera poisoning.<ref name = dammann>Dammann, A.E. 1969 Study of the fisheries potential of the Virgin Islands. Special Report. Contribution No. 1. Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station.</ref>

==Description== Southern sennet, like other members of the family Sphyraenidae, possess elongated bodies, pike-like heads, and large jaws.<ref name = fishbase1>{{FishBase family | family = Sphyraenidae | month = January | year = 2006}}</ref> The lower jaw protrudes slightly from the upper jaw, both of which contain fang-like teeth.<ref name = fishbase1 /> 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.<ref name = fishbase1/> Southern sennet have six spines, and 9 rays on their dorsal fins. they have only two spines and 9 rays on their anal fins.<ref name = fishbase2/> The longest recorded southern sennet was 2&nbsp;ft long;<ref name = IGFA>IGFA 2001 Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.</ref> the greatest recorded weight was 2&nbsp;lbs 8 oz.<ref name = IGFA/>

==Distribution and habitat== Southern sennet are known only from the western Atlantic Ocean from Bermuda, Florida, and the Bahamas south to Uruguay.<ref name = fishbase2/> 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,<ref name = lieske>Lieske, E. and R. Myers 1994 Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p.</ref> at depths from 1–65 m,<ref name = cervigon>Cervigón, F. 1993 Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p</ref> where they often occur in large schools near the surface.<ref name = cervigon/> Juveniles are commonly found over beds of seagrasses.<ref name = cervigon/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/S/Sphyraena_picudilla/ at Zipcode zoo] *[http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?search=Sphyraena+picudilla at Discoverlife]

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Category:Sphyraenidae Category:Game fish Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Category:Fish described in 1860