THE NEEDLEFISHES 



Family XX. Bclonida 



VORACIOUS, carnivorous, saltwater fishes, bearing a superficial 

 resemblance to the Gar pikes; genera 4 (only 2 in American waters) 

 and species about 50, the majority American. Their habits are 

 ordinarily much like those of the pikes, but when startled they 

 swim along the surface of the water with extraordinary rapidity, 

 skimming the surface, sometimes leaping from the water with a 

 sculling motion of the tail, sometimes remaining out of the water 

 for long distances, but striking it at short intervals with the 

 caudal fin. When thus leaping the large species of the tropics are 

 said to be a source of danger to incautious fishermen, sometimes 

 piercing with their long sharp snout the naked bodies of the 

 savages. 



Owing to the green colour of their bones, they are not 

 much used as food, though their flesh is excellent. 



This family contains 2 genera, Tylosurns and Athlennes, the 

 former with several species, the latter with but i. The only 

 species deserving mention are the common neeedlefish (T. notatus), 



the billfish (T. marhius), and the houndfish or agujon (T. raphi- 

 domd). The agujon, of which we present a figure, is an abun- 

 dant and important food-fish about Porto Rico. It reaches a 

 length of 3 to 5 feet and is a vigorous, active fish, sometimes 

 dangerous in its leaps from the water, and much dreaded by the 

 fishermen. The young sometimes stray northward to New Jersey. 



241 



