# What Kind of Fish Did I See?



## FHD (May 26, 2013)

Okay, no pictures of this one but want to see what you guys think. I live on Perdido bay and was watching the water today when I saw what looked like an eel jumping out of the water multiple times. I then realized it was too stiff to be an eel and it turned out to be the bill of some fish that was chasing another fish. However, the bill had to be at least a foot long. Is it possible I saw a small sword of sail in Perdido bay??? Or, do pin fish get this big or perhaps was it some other type of fish??? Wish I had been closer to see it better!

Thanks for any thoughts...


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

Needle fish










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

Needle fish is my guess too


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

+1. Or Gar.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

Ok stupid question, I had a guy at a dock once tell me that a needle fish would scure you if they hit you and were known to cause severe injury and even death. I dismissed it as a local giving a tourist from the Ozarks crap but that one in the pic looks a lot bigger than the ones I saw. Is there any merit to that?


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## orbiting headquarters (Oct 30, 2013)

Saw this awhile back:
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...a-bite-20101018_1_kayaking-big-fish-houndfish


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

No. but don't grab the bill/beak. Teeth angle out. Trust me!


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

johnf said:


> Ok stupid question, I had a guy at a dock once tell me that a needle fish would scure you if they hit you and were known to cause severe injury and even death. I dismissed it as a local giving a tourist from the Ozarks crap but that one in the pic looks a lot bigger than the ones I saw. Is there any merit to that?


He was messing with you.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

It's a houndfish.


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## MikeH (Jul 14, 2009)

I'm gonna say a gar.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

lastcast said:


> No. but don't grab the bill/beak. Teeth angle out. Trust me!


 Yeah...and they're sharp as little needles...had one shred my hand one morning...


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

I would say needle fish myself. I see them when I go to the Caribbean. They always seem to be a foot to foot and a half long. The one in the picture appears to be a lot longer. But same fishy appearance


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## FHD (May 26, 2013)

Thanks for the education guys! The only needle fish I have ever seen were very small - perhaps 1 foot in length for the entire fish or even less. The gar I have seen had a more rounded bill and not as pointed as a needle fish. What I observed here in the bay definitely had a very pointed bill. Thanks again!


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