Needlefish are so named because of their really long jaws that pack many sharp teeth. These fish travel in schools near the surface of the water where they’re attracted to artificial light and can leap out from the water at a speed of 38 mph.
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This creates a dangerous situation for night fishermen because needlefish have been known to seriously wound people and even kill a few.
Needlefish are so named because of their really long jaws that pack many sharp teeth. These fish travel in schools near the surface of the water where they’re attracted to artificial light and can leap out from the water at a speed of 38 mph.
This creates a dangerous situation for night fishermen because needlefish have been known to seriously wound people and even kill a few.
They do this by jumping out of the water and unintentionally lodging themselves in fishermen like arrows. Their beaks have even been known to break off in the skin. Yikes!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needlefish
A needlefish being cleaned by a cleaner wrasse, Labroides phthirophagus.
Needlefish, like all ray-finned beloniforms, are capable of making short jumps out of the water at up to 60 km/h (37 mph). Since needlefish swim near the surface, they often leap over the decks of shallow boats rather than going around. This jumping activity is greatly excited by artificial light at night; night fisherman and divers in areas across the Pacific Ocean have been "attacked" by schools of suddenly excited needlefish diving across the water towards the light source at high speed. Their sharp beaks are capable of inflicting deep puncture wounds, often breaking off inside the victim in the process. For many traditional Pacific Islander communities, who primarily fish on reefs from low boats, needlefish represent an even greater risk of injury than sharks.[7]