NEEDLEFISH
One of the summertime animals that we will be saying “so long” to
this month is a strange looking fish that we see here on Tybee only during
the warmer months. So before the water starts cooling and some of our
summer fish start to leave, we will take a look at the Needlefish.
A Needlefish is a long, skinny, round fish with its fins way back toward
its tail. Most noticeable is its long, thin jaws that produce a long narrow
mouth and pointed front end. A Needlefish looks like an arrow! Inside its
mouth, both top and bottom jaws are lined with sharp, thin, needle-like
teeth. So I’m not sure if it was named a Needlefish because of it long thin
pointed body shape, or because of its teeth. When a Needlefish opens its
mouth (to see its teeth) you have to watch fast because it opens and shuts
its mouth quickly. Every time I see them do this, it reminds me of scissors
quickly opening and shutting. Its jaws are probably not very strong, but I
can assure you from experience that if those sharp teeth even just contact
your finger, you will know it.
Needlefish are actually plentiful around here in the shallow water during
the summer, but they easily go overlooked. Like many inshore fish along our
coast, Needlefish are green on top, and their bottom surface is shiny white.
They spend most all their time swimming close to the surface, so when
you look down at them, their green top blends in with the green water, and
it’s like they disappear. Even if you were underwater looking up toward the
surface, the surface of the water looks shiny white, so the Needlefish’s
belly blends in with that background also. This sort of coloration pattern is
called countershading and allows fish to go unnoticed even in open water. I
remember seeing Needlefish in the Bahamas, where the water is blue, and
12 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | SEPT 2020
down there the fish’s back is blue rather than green, so it blends in with
the water there also.
A good place to see Needlefish is from Tybee’s pier. If it’s a calm day,
sometimes you can see them when they swim right along the surface
and create tiny waves or disturbances on the surface. They are probably
swimming around looking for small fish to eat, like Anchovies and
Silversides that also swim near the surface. Occasionally a fisherman might
accidentally catch a Needlefish when using artificial lures trying to catch
Spanish Mackerel.
One more note that I’ve noticed about Needlefish. They have a strange
smell or odor. It’s not a bad smell, but reminds me more of a plant-like
smell. When we catch one during a Tybee Beach Ecology Trip and I’ve
handled it, my hands will have that distinct smell!
Dr. Joe Richardson (Ph.D. Marine Sciences) is a retired marine science
professor with 40 years of research and teaching experience along GA,
the southeastern coast and Bahamas. Besides research, he conducts Tybee
Beach Ecology Trips (www.TybeeBeachEcology.com) and frequently posts
pictures of their findings on his Tybee Beach Ecology Trips Facebook page.
Beach Walks
with Dr. Joe
By Dr. Joe Richardson
/www.TybeeBeachEcology.com
/(www.TybeeBeachEcology.com)