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fishing forecast

hound needlefish

Tylosurus crocodilus · Belonidae · predator

Sea

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.

Also called: zambaia-roliço, zambaia, agulhão, houndfish, hound needlefish

Scientific illustration of Hound needlefish
common size
70–110 cm
maximum
150 cm
common weight
0.6–2.4 kg
record/max.
6.4 kg
depth
0–13 m
ideal water
26–29 °C
location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the hound needlefish

overview

who is the hound needlefish

The zambaia-roliço (houndfish) is a large needlefish with a cylindrical body and a strong beak, which lives alone or in small groups over lagoons and exposed reefs in the tropical seas of the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic. In the western Atlantic it occurs from New Jersey to Brazil. It hunts fish near the surface, down to about 13 m. It reaches 150 cm and 6.4 kg; the common size is about 90 cm standard length. Fishers fear it: when it jumps, frightened or drawn to light at night, its beak pierces and wounds. The flesh has a greenish color, which limits the market, although it is considered good. Fishers in the Batoque Extractive Reserve, in Ceará, know it as zambaia-roliço.

fun facts

  • FishBase says fishers fear it: when it jumps, frightened or drawn to light at night, its beak pierces and wounds.
  • The bones and scales are greenish.
  • In the eastern Pacific it is replaced by a subspecies, Tylosurus crocodilus fodiator.
how to recognize it

identification

A round-bodied needlefish, dark greenish-blue above and silvery below, with a long, strong beak of sharp teeth. The tail is deeply cut, with the lower lobe much longer than the upper, and there is a black lateral keel on the caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin with 21 to 24 rays and anal fin with 19 to 22, with the front of both forming tall lobes. Juveniles, up to about 20 cm, have a tall black lobe at the rear of the dorsal fin, which disappears as they grow. Bones and scales are greenish. It looks very much like the agulhão-lambaio (Tylosurus acus), from which FishBase separates it by vertebra count (75 to 80 vs. 90 to 95).

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Brazil, the species is known to fishers in Ceará; FishBase gives it from New Jersey to Brazil without detailing the coast, and its latitude range (1°N to 21°N) covers the North. In Latin America, FishBase's list includes Mexico, the Caribbean, Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Ecuador.

Habitat: Reef lagoons and reefs exposed to the sea, near the surface, down to about 13 m; usually seen alone or in small groups.

coast

North CoastNortheast Coastcoastalshelf
calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Present all year in tropical waters; most active with warm water and calm seas from spring to summer.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts by day near the surface; at night it comes to lights, and that is when it wounds the most anglers.

weather, water and behavior

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

cold and cold fronts

A warm-water fish (26 to 29 °C in FishBase): loses activity in cold water.

atmospheric pressure

Small effect.

moon

Small effect; at night boat lights attract it and it jumps toward them.

rain

Little effect at sea; muddy river water drives the fish away.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Small effect.

wind

Light chop hides the line and helps the surface lure; strong wind makes the fish hard to see.

tide

Current at the reef edge and at lagoon mouths gathers the bait and the zambaia.

depth

Almost always in the first few meters, close to the surface.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

rod
6'6" to 7'6", fast action, 12 to 25 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
3000 to 5000 spinning reel
line
braided line 15 to 30 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb or thin wire leader 20 to 30 lb, 40 cm (the teeth cut thin line)
hook
single 1/0 to 3/0 or small treble hook on the lure

lures

  • stickbait and popper 10 to 14 cm
  • 15 to 30 g spoon
  • long streamer (fly)
  • small surface or mid-water trolling bait

natural baits

  • small fish in a long strip

accessories

  • long-nose pliers
  • protective glasses
  • luvas

tip from an angler

FishBase cites catches on the cast and when trolling with surface and mid-water baits. Reel in fast; when it jumps, lower the rod tip and give slack.

what the law says

rules for the hound 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.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). Outside Mexico we found no specific rule for the species.

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 zambaia-roliço is not among the species reserved for sport fishing 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 the recreational fishing permits set out in the rule.

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

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.

Hold it by the body, behind the head, with the beak away from your face and from other people. Remove the hook with long-nose pliers and release it with its head in the water. Never hold it by the beak, and wear protective eyewear.

in the kitchen

FishBase considers it good to eat, but the greenish flesh and bones limit the market. Remove the skin and bones, bleed it and keep it on ice.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00112, b = 3.1; 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

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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 crocodilus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. The common size range is an editorial estimate around the common length of 90 cm (standard length) reported by FishBase.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Tylosurus crocodilusNames by country and language.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
  4. scientific Pinto, M. F.; Mourão, J. S.; Alves, R. R. N. (2015). Use of ichthyofauna by artisanal fishermen at two protected areas along the coast of Northeast Brazil. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.Common names recorded from artisanal fishers in Tamandaré (PE) and the Batoque Extractive Reserve (CE).
  5. official NOM-017-PESC-1994 (pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México), modificação publicada no DOF em 25/11/2013 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)Limit of 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species (item 4.9.1), return of the excess (4.9.5) and ban on selling sport-caught fish (4.11). Text checked Oct 13, 2026. The rule sets no quota of its own for this species.
don't confuse

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