Hound Needlefish
Tylosurus crocodilus
Also known as: Alligator Gar, Crocodile Longtom, Crocodile Needlefish, Gar, Garfish, Giant Longtom, Guardfish, Hound, Houndfish, Longjaw, Longtom, Ocean Piper, Pike Fish, Seagar, Stickfish
- Alligator Gar
- Crocodile Longtom
- Crocodile Needlefish
- Gar
- Garfish
- Giant Longtom
- Guardfish
- Hound
- Houndfish
- Longjaw
- Longtom
- Ocean Piper
- Pike Fish
- Seagar
- Stickfish
Overview
Found singly or in small schools patrolling surface waters of lagoons and seaward reefs.
Needlefish hunt smaller fish just below the surface of the sea, but in turn the are also hunted by larger fish like Tuna and can sometimes be seen leaping into the air and seeming to skip along on their tails on the surface of the water to escape predators.
Potentially dangerous at night when attracted to light as they leap out of the water and have been known to cause fatalities with their beaks!
How to identify
Habitat & where to find it
- Range · Circumtropical
- Exact location · 2
- Country only · 23
Found singly or in small schools patrolling surface waters of lagoons and seaward reefs.
Adult photos 25
Discussion 5
5 comments
- buck buchanan· 8 Jun 2015
Caught one today in the Nambucca river, Mid North Coast of New South Wales in 5 foot of water about 1km from the mouth of the river
- Kristin Seelig· 1 Apr 2015
Today I have seen a crocodile needlefish at Moore Reef near Cairns / North Queensland / Australia.
Deep dive
More in the family
Needlefishes (Belonidae)





