Creature Feature – Needlefish
This week is the letter ‘N’, and today’s featured creature is the Needlefish.
Needlefish are any of the long, slim, primarily marine fishes of the family Belonidae. There are 10 distinct genera within the Belonidae family and all species are characterised by a long, pointy nose full of sharp teeth!
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Beloniformes
Superfamily: Scomberesocoidea
Family: Belonidae
Needlefish Fact File
Size: Species can range in length from 3cm to 1.2m and weigh up to 6kg
Distribution: They can be found in warm, tropical, and subtropical coastal waters around the world.
Diet: Most species’ diet are comprised primarily of other fish. However, some species will also consume krill, cephalopods, and small crustaceans
Behaviour: Needlefish have the ability to lunge out of the water, much like a dolphin or shark. When jumping out of the water they can easily reach speeds up to 60km/hr!
IUCN Status: Least Concern. The worldwide population status is unknown, but they are abundant in many areas of the world
