Redfin Needlefish, Strongylura notata

Redfin Needlefish, Strongylura notata. Fish caught from coastal waters off Caye Ambergris, Belize, June 2013. Length: 18 cm (7.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

Redfin Needlefish, Strongylura notata. Fish caught from coastal waters off Sugarloaf, Key, Florida, August 2014. Length: 31 cm (12 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of George Kimberly, Atlanta, Georgia.

Redfin Needlefish, Strongylura notata. Fish caught from coastal waters off Sugarloaf, Key, Florida, August 2019. Length: 31 cm (12 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Redfin Needlefish, Strongylura notata. Fish caught from coastal waters off Belize, August 2014. Length: 31 cm (12 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.

The Redfin Needlefish, Strongylura notata, is a member of the Needlefish or Belonidae Family, and is known in Mexico as agujón negro. Globally, there are fourteen species in the genus Strongylura, of which four are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Pacific Ocean.

The Redfin Needlefish has a very elongated rounded body with extremely elongated jaws that form a long beak with numerous needle-like teeth. They are blue-green dorsally and have a long dark bar at the rear edge of their gill covers. Their anal, caudal, and dorsal fins vary in color from pink to orange but generally have red tips. Their fins do not have spines. Their anal and dorsal fins have low lobes at the front. Their anal fin has 12 to 15 rays; their caudal fin is slightly concave; their dorsal fin has 12 to 15 rays; their pectoral fins have 10 to 12 rays; and, their pelvic fins are small and rounded. They do not have gill rakers and their body is partially covered with scales.

The Redfin Needlefish is a coastal species found in bays and mangrove-lined lagoons and may enter brackish water in the first 7 m (20 feet) of the water column. They reach a maximum of 45 cm (18 inches) in length. They are carnivorous feeding on small fish and shrimp. The Redfin Needlefish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Redfin Needlefish  is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.

The Redfin Needlefish is most likely confused with the Atlantic Needlefish, Strongylura marina (anal fin with 16 to 20 rays), the Keeltail Needlefish, Platybelone argalus (very slender body and long jaw), and the Timucú, Strongylura timucu (yellow, black, and white stripes on body).

From a conservation perspective the Redfin Needlefish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are subject to die offs during cold water episodes. They are viewed by locals as a pest with “too many bones” to be utilized for food. They are either a “catch and release” or retained for use as cut bait for bottom fishing. When hooked they become acrobatic, making spectacular jumps while bending themselves into complete circles, and make mad, short dashes. They are excellent bait stealers inflicting major damage to and weakening monofilament lines with their enormous teeth.