WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

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

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2015
Handle with careLook, don't touch
Adult
@TerryM · Japamala Resort, Malaysia · February 20141 / 25
01

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!

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
needle
Head & Mouth
long nose

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Circumtropical
  • Exact location · 2
  • Country only · 23
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools patrolling surface waters of lagoons and seaward reefs.

04

Adult photos 25

05

Discussion 5

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

5 comments

  • Klaus· 20 Dec 2015

    Saw one today near the beach in Koh Chang, Thailand.

  • Cor· 8 Aug 2015

    Several hound needlefish in the red sea Eilat. Israël at coral beach.

  • Kento Box· 10 Jun 2015

    Are crocodile needlefish dangerous?

  • 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.

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderBeloniformes
  5. familyBelonidae
  6. genusTylosurus
  7. speciesTylosurus crocodilus (Péron & Lesueur, 1821)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

06

More in the family

Needlefishes (Belonidae)