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catalog Belonidae · predator

pacific agujon needlefish

Tylosurus pacificus

Sea

A long, slender needlefish of the eastern Pacific, with a long beak full of teeth. It hunts very close to the surface and gathers under lights at night; it takes thin bait and small spoons.

Also called: agulha-do-pacífico, Pacific agujon needlefish, Pacific agujon

forecast for pacific agujon needlefish where found
Scientific illustration of Pacific agujon needlefish
common size
50–80 cm
maximum
150 cm
common weight
0.1–0.6 kg
record/max.
1.8 kg
depth
0–10 m
ideal water
24–30 °C
overview

who is the pacific agujon needlefish

A needlefish (family Belonidae) of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to northern Peru, including the Galápagos Islands. It lives near the surface, generally offshore, but also appears in coastal waters. Like other needlefish, it hunts small fish near the surface. Its eggs stick to floating objects by filaments. It is caught with the help of artificial light and sold fresh or salted; the flesh is of good quality. FishBase gives it a length of up to 1.5 m, but the common size is around 70 cm. For the angler it is a light-tackle fish for thin bait under a float, with fast strikes and jumps. Its pointed beak calls for care when lifting the fish out of the water.

fun facts

  • The eggs attach to floating objects by filaments on their shell.
  • It is caught with the help of artificial light, which attracts the fish at night.
  • It is endemic to the tropical eastern Pacific, according to Robertson & Allen.
how to recognize it

identification

A very elongated, rounded body, with both jaws extended into a long, thin beak, slightly curved upward and full of pointed teeth. Dark greenish-blue back, silvery belly and a dark blue band along the middle of the flanks. Dorsal and anal fins set far back, deeply forked tail with a larger lower lobe, and a keel at the base of the tail. No keel below the tip of the lower jaw. The Mexican needlefish (Tylosurus fodiator) is more robust, with a shorter, thicker beak and a less forked tail.

how pacific agujon needlefish fishing looks

Loading the next 7 days…

Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Not found in Brazil. Eastern Pacific: from the Gulf of California (southern Baja California) to northern Peru, including the Galápagos Islands.

Habitat: Surface of coastal and oceanic waters, most common offshore; attracted to light at night.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Apr–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Present all year. The presence of small bait fish at the surface matters more than the month.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts by day near the surface, and gathers under lights at night, when it can also be caught.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the pacific agujon needlefish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Water below about 20 °C drives the fish away from the surface.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Dark nights favor fishing with light; a full moon disperses the school.

rain

Little effect.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Nearby motor noise scares it off; light on the water attracts it.

wind

Choppy seas make it hard to see surface strikes.

tide

Little direct effect.

depth

At the surface, down to about 2 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Surface castingNatural bait with floatFly fishing
rod
6' to 7', 6 to 12 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 2000 to 3000
line
braid 8 to 15 lb
leader
fine steel wire 15 to 20 lb, 20 to 30 cm, or 20 lb fluorocarbon: the teeth cut fine nylon
hook
fine hook no. 2 to 1/0; stinger (second hook) fixed to the bait's tail

lures

  • small spoon
  • thin surface bait, 8 to 12 cm
  • thin streamer, 10 to 15 cm (fly)

natural baits

  • strip of sardine or anchovy
  • small sardine

accessories

  • long-nose pliers
  • luvas
  • polarized glasses

tip from an angler

The needlefish strikes from the side and often takes only the tip of the bait: use a thin bait and a second small hook on the tail. When bringing it to the boat, keep the beak away from your face.

what the law says

rules for the pacific agujon needlefish

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day

5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish

In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, with at most 5 of the same species. The aguja del Pacífico is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlins, sailfish, swordfish, sábalo, roosterfish and dorado, up to 50 nautical miles from shore, item 0.3 of the rule) and has no quota of its own. Fish over the limit are released alive, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Anyone fishing from a boat needs an individual permit; fishing from shore does not.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 0.3, 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.14 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

Colombia: AUNAP license and catch-and-release in sport fishing

Individual AUNAP license; catch-and-release guidanceconfirm with the agency

AUNAP Resolution 0549 of 2022 sets the guidelines for recreational sport fishing in Colombia. Anglers need a permit: for an individual, Colombian or foreign, it is a personal, non-transferable card. The rule makes "catch and release" the guidance and admits keeping only part of the catch for personal consumption, respecting the minimum sizes it sets. We did not confirm the daily limit or the minimum sizes by species: check with AUNAP before keeping fish.

Source: Resolución AUNAP 0549 of 2022 (fishing management guidelines for sport fishing for recreational purposes), arts. 6 and 8; Official Gazette of Mar 25, 2022

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

A fish with thin skin and scales: wet your hands, hold it firmly behind the head, away from the beak, remove the hook with pliers and release it promptly.

in the kitchen

Good-quality meat, sold fresh or salted. The bones turn green when cooked, which is normal and harmless.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00072, b = 3.11; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

—

sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

  1. scientific FishBase: Tylosurus pacificus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Tylosurus pacificusNames by country and language.
  3. scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system, versão 3.0. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Tylosurus pacificusDescription, colors, size, depth and distribution in the eastern Pacific. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026. Cites length up to 130 cm; we kept FishBase's published maximum of 150 cm.
  4. official DOF: Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 25/11/2013)Reserves species for sport fishing (item 0.3), permits (4.3 and 4.14), rods and hooks (4.6), bait (4.7), daily limits at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed zones and seasons (4.10), and a ban on selling the catch (4.11). Text checked on Oct 13, 2026; the publication date (Nov 25, 2013) comes from Secretaría de Economía rules that cite the amendment.
  5. official AUNAP (Colômbia): Resolução 0549 de 2022, lineamientos de ordenación pesquera para la pesca deportiva con fines recreativosWe reviewed, in a partial transcript of the text, what the rule says about the personal license (art. 6) and the catch-and-release guidance (arts. 8 to 10). We could not read the articles on the daily bag limit and minimum sizes; the draft rule provided for a personal-consumption limit that AUNAP said it would revise, so those figures are left out.
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Mexican needlefish
Belonidae

Mexican needlefish

Tylosurus fodiator

A robust needlefish of the eastern Pacific, with a short, thick beak and over 1 m long. It hunts skimming the surface near the coast and jumps out of the water: the beak wounds, be careful.

Sea
time of yearbest: Apr–Oct
Illustration of Agujon needlefish
Belonidae

Agujon needlefish

Tylosurus acus

One of the largest needlefish in the Atlantic, over 1.5 m, with a strong bill and quick leaps, it strikes surface lures over reefs and open sea. Caution: the bill can injure anyone in its path.

Sea
time of year
Illustration of Hound needlefish
Belonidae

Hound needlefish

Tylosurus crocodilus

A large needlefish with a rounded body and a strong beak, which hunts fish at the surface of lagoons and reefs. It strikes surface lures on the cast and when trolling, and its beak wounds anyone in the path of its jump.

Sea
time of year
Illustration of Flat needlefish
Belonidae

Flat needlefish

Ablennes hians

A needlefish with a body flattened from side to side, dark bars on the flank and tall sickle-shaped lobes on the dorsal and anal fins. It lives in coastal and oceanic waters, near islands, and is attracted to light at night.

EstuarySea
time of year