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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing needlefish. These fish are named for their needle-like, pointed jaws. Superficially, they may look like gars, and are sometimes referred to as garfish, but they're only distantly related. Needlefish are also known as longtoms which is exceptionally fun to say. Needlefish may also be referred to as billfish but this is the same name of another group of fish with long snouts, so that can cause some confusion. There are somewhere around 50 classified, living needlefish species that swim throughout tropical and temperate waters around the world. They can be seen in fresh, brackish, and marine water systems with some species moving readily between these environments, especially for breeding.

Needlefish spend most of their time in schools at the surface of the water. They live in rivers, coasts, estuaries, and more. They have countershading to help camouflage them against predators and prey alike. Countershading is when an animal is dark on top and light on bottom so when viewed from above or below they blend in with their environment. Needlefish may also sport lines along their bodies and the tip of their lower jaw is often red or orange in color. Their fins have no spines and the dorsal fin is positioned far back on the body close to the tail fin.

Adult needlefish eat other fish like anchovies, mullets, herrings, and more. They have needlike teeth that grab prey in a sideways motion, not unlike the gharial we've discussed previously. Some species also eat crustaceans, cephalopods, and krill. Young needlefish eat plankton. Their jaws are not fully developed until they reach adulthood so the bottom jaw is longer than the top jaw until then. This may lead to confusion as they appear like halfbeaks during these stages, though needlefish do eventually gain approximately equal jaw lengths by adulthood unlike halfbeaks who also have a longer lower jaw.

As they peruse the water's surface, needlefish may jump out, like a flying fish. In fact, these groups are classified in the same taxonomic order!. They swim nearly 40mph (64kph) during these maneuvers which can be detrimental to anything in their paths. There are reports of humans dying from needlefish impalement. The fish are drawn to light at night, and, in their excitement, can cause serious injury or death to whomever is near the light. Some species only reach a few inches in length, but others can be well over three feet (91cm) long!

Humans catch and eat needlefish and they're described as delicious, but they have many small, green bones which may deter some from consuming them. Needlefish eggs are large and laid in sticky tendrils that attach to objects like rocks or mangrove roots. The fish may hatch in these nurseries and remain here until they're larger and can fend for themselves. Predators to needlefish include larger fish. It’s currently unknown how long these fish live in the wild.

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