So, for this round of our little Name that Fish game, this one’s a fat batting practice fastball right down the middle for any of you who’ve fished in warm saltwater.
If you have, these guys have undoubtedly harassed your trolling spreads and also reduced to ribbons any soft plastic baits you may have been tossing off the beach. For the record, I caught this one in Kauai over Christmas.
Any guesses? Here’s a clue: the name of this guy has to do with his shape…Submit your guesses in the comments section below.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Needlefish (family Belonidae) are piscivorous fishes primarily associated with very shallow marine habitats or the surface of the open sea. Some genera include species found in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments (e.g., Strongylura) while a few genera are confined to freshwater rivers and streams, including Belonion, Potamorrhaphis, and Xenentodon. [1] Needlefish closely resemble North American freshwater gars (family Lepisosteidae) in being elongate and having long, narrow jaws filled with sharp teeth, and some species of needlefish are referred to as gars or garfish despite being only distantly related to the true gars. In fact the name “garfish” was originally used for the needlefish Belone belone in Europe and only later applied to the North American fishes by European settlers during the 18th century.[2
Needlefish!! Just don’t grab it by the nose. If you do you’ll be sorry. Got a couple while Bone fishing in Hawaii.
Yep, Needlefish…Geez, I guess that one was way too easy for you guys! Next time, I’m gonna have to make it tougher! This fish, by the way, ate (of all things) a 2-inch section of a Berkley GULP Sandworm on a No. 6 baitholder hook intended for smaller reef critters. Made a pretty screaming run on the trout rod and 6lb. test!
The hook wedged itself in the jaw in just such a way that that line never dragged across teeth. He about burned all the line off the reel before I decided to make one last, heroic stand. I grabbed the spool and waited for the snap…luckily, these needles may be long but they have no shoulders for leverage and I stopped him and whipped him to the beach like a French poodle after that…
That’s a Needlefish, and you’re right about them shredding up your baits and leaders too.
JD, I am a new subscriber,and I caught a fish like that in Denmark when I lived there,
It was called a Hornfisk. I also caught a 12lb Dolly Varden in Denmark.
Thanks, Joe Hager
Wow a 12-lb. dolly…that’s a toad! Nice work!
Yep! that looks like the needlefish, I used to see them while diving overseas…
It is a Needlefish. I caught one in Mission Bay (San Diego) once. I have also seen them in Hawaii.
needell fish
Needlefish
sellfish