CreatureData

Needlefish

Petalichthys capensis Regan, 1904

Status not recordedbony fish

The needlefish (Petalichthys capensis) is a species in the family Belonidae, order Beloniformes.

No freely licensed photo yet

Quick facts about the needlefish

Weight
Not recorded
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
Not recorded
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the needlefish live?

Not recorded

Is the needlefish endangered?

No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.

How is the needlefish classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderBeloniformes
  5. familyBelonidae
  6. genusPetalichthys
  7. SpeciesPetalichthys capensis Regan, 1904

Synonyms Belone megalolepis

Other names and names in other languages (5)
  • Cape needlefishEnglish
  • NaaldvisAfrikaans
  • jehlice kapskáCzech
  • Peixe-agulha-do-caboPortuguese
  • Капский петалихтRussian

Catalogue of Life

Relatives of the needlefish

Other species in the same family Belonidae.

LC, Least Concern
Garfish (Belone belone)

Garfish

Belone belone

Belonidae

Gar fish

Ablennes hians

BelonidaeNo free photo yet

Houndfish

Tylosurus crocodilus

BelonidaeNo free photo yet

CompareNeedlefish vs GarfishNeedlefish vs Gar fishNeedlefish vs Asian needlefishNeedlefish vs Houndfish

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

What kind of animal is the needlefish?

The needlefish (Petalichthys capensis) belongs to the family Belonidae in the order Beloniformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

Embed a card for this animal on your own site

Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.

Preview the card

APA

CreatureData. (2026). Needlefish (Petalichthys capensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/petalichthys-capensis

MLA

“Needlefish (Petalichthys capensis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/petalichthys-capensis.

BibTeX
@misc{petalichthys_capensis_2026,
  title = {Needlefish (Petalichthys capensis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/petalichthys-capensis},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}