Distribution:
Circumglobal; teleost; freshwater; marine;
Habitat:
Marine and freshwater. Tropical to warm temperate waters.
Remarks:
Needlefishes, common name for members of the family Belonidae, are distinctive in their slender bodies, upper and lower jaws extending into long beaks with many needle-like, sharp teeth. These epipelagic ocean and freshwater fishes are found throughout tropical to temperate waters of the world, with the majority of freshwater species found in South America, Pakistan, and Southeast Asian.
Their characteristics include large mouth; small scales; absence of isolated finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins; soft-rayed fins; short pectoral fins; nostrils deep-set in nasal cavity. They feed on plankton, crustaceans and small cephalopods.
These fish tend to leap out of the water and can accidentally puncture people with their pointed beak. Maximum length is 1.5-2 m.
This family is comprised of ten genera and about 34 species.
References:
Nelson 2006; Columbia Encyclopedia; FishBase 2008