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Vasanth, K.; Muthupandi, K.; Naganandhini, V.; Radhakrishnan, K., and Narayanan, M., 2025. Length-weight relationships of eight pelagic fish species caught by drift longlines in the Gulf of Mannar, India. Journal of Coastal Research, 41(3), 510–515. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The length-weight relationships were estimated for eight pelagic species caught in the Gulf of Mannar, India, using experimental longlines. The experimental study was conducted from January to October 2022 in fortnightly intervals using longlines (3000 m for needlefish and 11,250 m for carangids), each equipped with 600 “J”-type fishing hooks of various types (straight, reversed, kirbed). The hook numbers used were standard sizes that ranged from 8 to 11 for both groups (needlefish and carangids). The longlines were fabricated with polyamide monofilament and operated from 1 to 2 m depth for needlefish and 20 to 25 m depth for carangids for 3 to 5 hours for both longline units. Overall, 21,150 hooks were deployed in 24 fishing trials for each experimental longline. A maximum total length was recorded for four needlefish species, Strongylura strongylura (80), Tylosurus choram (91), Tylosurus crocodilus (97), and Ablennes hians (96), and four carangids species, Caranx bajad (60.5), Alectis indicus (62), Caranx ignoblis (69), and Scomberomorus commerson (74). In terms of growth, the length-weight relationships revealed positive allometric growth (b >3) for three species of carangids, C. bajad, S. commerson, and A. indicus (p < 0.05) and negative allometric growth (b <3) for four species of needlefishes, T. choram, S. strongylura, T. crocodilus, and A. hians, and one species of carangid, C. ignoblis.

The tactics of the reef needlefish Strongylura incisa while hunting for small schooling pelagic fishes is described and photographically documented for the first time. Small flocks of reef needlefish enter the lagoon of the mini-atoll through passages in the reef at the beginning of the tide to hunt small schooling pelagic fishes, which move over the reef into the lagoon of the mini-atoll. In the lagoon, needlefish spread, and part of the flock (only a few) enter the reef itself, while the main part of the flock continues to move along the edge of the lagoonal reef in the direction of schools of small pelagic fishes moving through the reef and cuts the schools into supra-reef and lagoonal parts. Then the reef needlefish move onto the reef and begin to solitary hunt prey at a depth of only 10–15 cm. At such an insignificant depth a school of small pelagic fish loses the ability to turn synchronously. When attacking by a reef needlefish, members of the former school make individual chaotic movements and thereby become easier prey for the needlefish. However, hunting in shallow reef waters poses risks of collision with coral branches on the bottom for the reef needlefish.

Garfish Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761) are distributed over a wide area covering all the East Atlantic coasts including the North and Baltic Seas and the entire Mediterranean basin. Researchers have presented different opinions regarding the presence of subspecies and endemic species of garfish due to certain morphological variations found in Mediterranean populations up to the current day. The purpose of this study is to clarify the taxonomic status of Belone euxini Günther, 1866, described as the Black Sea endemic by Günther (1866) and Belone acus Risso, 1827, described as the Mediterranean gar fish population by Risso (1827) with an integrative perspective. B. belone specimens were sampled from 12 localities in the North-Eastern Mediterranean. The congeneric Belone svetovidovi Collette & Parin, 1970, specimens were sampled at different locations in the Eastern Aegean Sea and included molecular analyses in order to determine the interspecific distance between Belone species. Detailed morphological description and genetics are provided for B. belone populations. Based on the results, it can be supported that the differences observed between B. belone populations are within the limits of intraspecific variation thus indicating that there are no distinct populations at the species level in the Mediterranean basin.

The by-product of needlefish (Tylosurus acus melanotus) waste possesses important characteristics that could be used in food applications. Fish by-product collagen may be used in place of mammalian collagen due to ethical and religious considerations over environmental degradation. Different forms of acid-soluble collagen (ASC) were successfully extracted from needlefish skin. Based on dry weight, the collagen extracted using acetic acid (AAC), lactic acid (LAC), and citric acid (CAC) treatments was 3.13% with a significantly difference (p < 0.05), followed by 0.56% and 1.03%, respectively. Based on proximate analysis, the needlefish skin composition was found to be significantly different (p < 0.05) between compositions, with the highest moisture content at 61.65%, followed by protein (27.39%), fat (8.59%), and ash (2.16%). According to the SDS-PAGE results, all extracted collagen were identified as a type 1 collagen. Additionally, ATR-FTIR revealed that all collagens had amide A, B, amide I, II, and III peaks. AAC significantly outperforms LAC and CAC in terms of yield following physicochemical characterisation, including pH determination, colour (L* value), and hydroxyproline content. All collagens demonstrated strong heat resistance and structural stability with Tmax above 38 °C. Collagen was most soluble at pH 5 for AAC, pH 3 for LAC, and pH 7 for CAC. The effect of collagen solubility on NaCl concentration was discovered to be significantly reduced to 50 g/L for all collagen samples. All collagens can be used as alternatives to terrestrial collagen in a diverse range of applications.

A 38-year-old man presented to the hospital with a 3-month history of abdominal pain, swelling, subcutaneous nodules and draining wound after sustaining a penetrating abdominal injury from needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus) impalement during a night dive in Green Island (22°40′00″N 121°28′59″E) (Fig. 1a). He underwent primary wound closure at that time. Painful subcutaneous abdominal nodules developed two weeks later (Fig. 1b). He made multiple visits to physicians over the following months and received repeat debridement. Spontaneously draining lesion occurred in the suture site 1–2 weeks after procedure (Fig. 1c). Surgical debridement was performed, and rapid growth of small, buff-colored colonies on Lowenstein-Jensen medium was noted. It was identified as Mycobacterium fortuitum with nitrate/urease positivity, catalase positivity at 68 °C, NaCl tolerance in Lowenstein-Jensen medium, and pyrazinamidase positivity. Therapy with clarithromycin, doxycycline, and moxifloxacin was initiated, and the patient was discharged for long-term antimycobacterial therapy.

Background Climatic changes and human activities have worked to pave the way for alien species to invade new areas far from their native habitats . Belonidae species (Needlefishes), spread into wide water bodies, and some exist in the Mediterranean Sea. Method On 18/2/2019, a field trip was performed in the marine waters facing Banyas city, Syria (N: 35°14′35.11“, E: 35°55’12.56”); to collect fish samples using a gillnet, with assistance of fishing boat (9.5 m and 19HP). Fish individuals were identified, the morphometric measurements and meristic counts were recorded. Results Two individuals of the Flat Needlefish Ablennes hians were caught from the marine water facing Banyas city-Syria. Conclusion This study reveals that the Flat Needlefish A.hians exists in the marine waters of Syria (Eastern Mediterranean). It is recorded for the second time in the Mediterranean Sea, and Suez Canal is thought to be the main root of introduction.

Increasing numbers of Tylosurus needlefishes together with common Belone needlefishes appeared in Thermaikos Gulf (North Aegean Sea, Greece) from 2012 to 2014, especially from May to August. The Tylosurus individuals were identified because of the absence of gill rakers and the presence of black thin lateral keel on caudal peduncle. From June 2013 to July 2014, 112 specimens of Tylosurus needlefishes were collected from commercial fisheries and a detailed morphometric and meristic analysis was applied for species identification. Measurements were recorded on each specimen, for six distance characters (TL, SL, FL, BL, HL, MBH). The length of fins (pectoral, ventral, dorsal, anal) was measured, various proportions between body and fin length were estimated and the number of fin rays was counted. Total length (TL) ranged from 59.3 to 111.6 cm. The soft rays in ventral fins were 6, in dorsal fin were 23-26 (mainly 24 with 53%) and in anal fin were 21-23 (mainly 22 with 51%). Body length to head length (BL/HL) ranged from 2 to 2.82, BL to pectoral fins length (BL/P) ranged from 8.3 to 10.8, BL to ventral fins length (BL/V) ranged from 10.9 to 17.7, BL to anterior dorsal fin lobe height (BL/D) ranged from 10.5 to 15.3 and BL to anterior anal fin lobe height (BL/A) ranged from 9.3 to 14.3. The anal fin lobe ranged from 4.9 to 7.4% of standard length. Moreover, the specimens had greater size in length, greater values in morphometrics (i.e. BL/P etc) and higher values in meristics than those reported for the congeneric species Tylosurus choram (Rüppell, 1837) and Tylosurus crocοdilus (Péron & Lesueur, 1821). The resulted diagnostic features are in accordance to the literature for the systematics of Tylosurus acus imperialis (Rafinesque, 1810). Thus, specimens were identified as T. acus imperialis confirming its occurrence in Thermaikos Gulf waters appearing the northern geographic expansion in the Aegean Sea.

We present a case report of a traveller injured by a needlefish in the Caribbean. The needlefish leapt from the ocean and struck the traveller's face at high speed, causing a seemingly superficial puncture wound on his nose. Later, it became apparent that multiple fish bones had broken off and lodged in his nasal cavity, very narrowly missing his cribriform plate. Some bones were discharged spontaneously through his nose over the next 3 months, and one required surgical removal. Our report highlights the importance of urgent radiological examination in patients injured by needlefish, even if the external wound appears insignificant.

Present study is based on five specimens of flat needlefish Ablennes hians collected from Puri North (Lat. 19 0 47′43.062″N, Long. 85 0 49′38.5788″E), Odisha, India on 7 January 2018. Based on morphometric and meristic characters, the specimens were identified as Ablennes hians (family Belonidae), having laterally compressed body with a series of vertical bars, 26 to 27 anal fin rays, 24–25 dorsal fin rays, 13–14 pectoral fin rays, and single lobe of gonad. A. hians can be distinguished from other three species of needlefishes reported from northeast coast of India based on body shape (body strongly compressed laterally in A. hians vs. rounded in cross section in other three species), number of anal fin rays (24–28 in A. hians vs. 15–25), vertical bars on body (a series of vertical bars in A. hians vs. no vertical bars in others except for S. leiura where few vertical bars are present on anterior half of the body). The occurrence of flat needlefish along Odisha Coast revealed the extension of its known geographical distributional range i.e. from noth of Andhra Pradesh in the North-eastern Indian Ocean. Further, it is an addition to the ichthyofaunal biodiversity of northeast coast of India.