Needlefish
Belonidae
Kosher
Has fins and scales
Fins
Yes
Scales
Yes
Description
Needlefish are eaten in some regions, boiled, fried, baked, grilled, or smoked. The garfish (a needlefish) is popular in Denmark despite its green bones.
Needlefish live near the surface, mostly in shallow saltwater and the open sea across subtropical and some temperate regions. A few live in brackish water and some only in freshwater rivers. They swim at the surface and feed mainly on smaller fish.
Also known as
- Marine Gar
- Needlefishes
- Long Toms
- Garfish
- Sea Gar
Kosher Needlefish in foreign languages
| Scientific | Belonidae |
| Hebrew | שפודניים |
| Arabic | الفصيلة الخرمية |
| Spanish | Agujones |
| French | Aiguillettes |
| German | Hornhechte |
| Russian | Саргановые |
| Turkish | Zarganagiller |
| Chinese | 鶴鱵科 |
| Japanese | ダツ科 |
| Korean | 동갈치과 |
| Vietnamese | Họ Cá nhói |
| Thai | วงศ์ปลากระทุงเหว |
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Needlefish have fins and scales, so they are kosher.
- Their bones are bright green from the pigment biliverdin. This is harmless, not a sign of spoilage.
- Safety note. Needlefish leap from the water at high speed, especially toward light at night, and their sharp beaks can cause deep puncture wounds. Serious and even fatal injuries have been documented.
- Closely resemble North American freshwater gars (family Lepisosteidae) but are unrelated.