Mexican needlefish (Tylosurus fodiator), illustration

Sport fishing Tylosurus fodiator(IGFA: T. crocodilus fodiator)

Mexican needlefish in Los Cabos

A long, silver missile with a beak full of teeth that hunts at the surface along the coast. The all-tackle world record for the species was caught at Cabo San Lucas in 1993.

Up to 163 cmMax length

21 lb 12 ozIGFA world record

0–10 mDepth range

5 per dayLimit per angler

Season in Los Cabos

Jan●Feb●Mar●Apr●May●Jun●Jul●Aug●Sep●Oct●Nov●Dec●

●● best months · ● regular · · occasional. Based on local fishing reports; conditions change year to year.

Tap a month to see everything biting in Cabo that month ›

How to recognize it

Long, rounded and fairly heavy-bodied for a needlefish, with a relatively short, stout, straight beak. Dark bluish green above and silvery on the sides, with a black keel on each side of the tail base. The tail is concave to slightly forked, with the lower lobe longer than the upper.

Biology

The Mexican needlefish lives only in the tropical eastern Pacific, from Baja California and the Gulf of California south to Ecuador, including Cocos and Malpelo islands. It’s a surface fish of coastal waters, usually in the top 10 m, though it also wanders offshore.

It’s a top predator that feeds mainly on small fishes. Its eggs carry tendrils on the surface that let them stick to objects in the water. It commonly reaches about 80 cm in standard length and grows to at least 134 cm in total length and close to 10 kg; the Smithsonian lists a maximum of 163 cm.

Things you probably didn't know

Green bones

Needlefish bones and fin rays are green, colored by biliverdin, a bile pigment. The flesh tastes excellent, but the green bones put some people off eating them.

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A fish that can injure people

Needlefish leap and skitter at the surface at high speed, especially toward artificial lights at night. Doctors have reported beak wounds to the eye and the spinal cord, and a fisherman whose leg was pierced by a needlefish that leapt out of the water.

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Born a halfbeak

Most young needlefish go through a halfbeak stage: the lower jaw grows long first, and the upper jaw catches up later.

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A Cabo world record

The IGFA all-tackle record is 21 lb 12 oz (9.86 kg), caught by John Kovacevich at Cabo San Lucas on August 10, 1993. IGFA lists it as the Mexican houndfish.

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Eggs that hold on

Its eggs are covered in tendrils that let them stick to objects in the water.

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Rare in the Galápagos

Only two records exist from the Galápagos, one a one-meter fish taken at Marchena in 1984, so scientists now list it there as a vagrant. They note it’s big, conspicuous and easy to catch on hook and line, so it’s unlikely to go unnoticed.

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Photos

Mexican needlefish, photo 1 (Club de Yates, Mzlo.) — Alberto Alcalá · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Mexican needlefish, photo 2 (Club de Yates, Mzlo.) — Alberto Alcalá · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Mexican needlefish, photo 3 (Oaxaca, MX) — Dan Riley · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Mexican needlefish, photo 4 (Manzanillo, MX-CL) — nasua · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Mexican needlefish, photo 5 (Zihuatanejo, Guerrero) — Kristof Zyskowski · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

How it's caught in Los Cabos

Mexican needlefish hunt at the surface close to shore, around the bay, the beaches and the rocky points. Local reports mention them in both winter and summer: in early June 2026 our pangas caught 5 to 10 lb fish on small surface lures inside the bay, some right outside the marina entrance, while the San José del Cabo panga fleet has described the larger ones as typically present in January and, in summer 2024, as a nuisance stealing sardine baits meant for tuna.

On light spinning tackle they hit small, fast-moving surface lures and live bait, then run and jump. The beak is hard and full of teeth, so a wire or heavy fluorocarbon leader helps, and unhooking takes care: control the beak and keep it pointed away from people. Needlefish are attracted to lights at night and can leap toward a boat, so take care on the water after dark. Sport fishing is not allowed inside Cabo Pulmo National Park.

On the table

Eaten in the region and sold fresh or salted. The flesh is well regarded, but the bones are green, which surprises many people.

Rules, records & conservation

Daily limit (NOM-017-PESC-1994)	Up to 5 per angler per day, within the 10-fish total
IGFA listing	Listed by IGFA as “Mexican houndfish”
IGFA all-tackle record	21 lb 12 oz (9.86 kg), Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., 1993
Cabo Pulmo National Park	Sport fishing not allowed

Needlefish can leap at boats and lights. Keep the beak pointed away from people when unhooking.

Don't confuse it with

The Pacific agujon (Tylosurus pacificus) has a longer, slender, upcurved beak and a deeply forked tail. Strongylura needlefish such as the California needlefish have no keel on the tail base. Halfbeaks and ballyhoo have only the lower jaw extended; a needlefish has both jaws drawn out into a long, toothed beak.

Questions

Are needlefish dangerous?

They aren’t aggressive, but they leap at high speed, especially toward lights at night, and their beaks have injured fishermen and divers. Handle them with care.