Pacific Needlefish: The Silver Arrow at the Surface

Glance up toward the surface and you may notice what look like floating silver wires — Pacific needlefish, long and pencil-thin, hanging just beneath the shimmer. Here's how to spot them near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Pacific Needlefish · Tylosurus fodiator

How to spot the pacific needlefish near Jacó

Look just below the surface, often over open water or along the edge of the shallows. Needlefish are long, slim, and silvery, with distinctive beak-like jaws. They hang almost motionless near the top, so look for the thin silhouette against the bright surface.

5 fun facts about the pacific needlefish

• Those needle jaws. Long, slender beaks lined with sharp teeth are perfect for snatching small fish near the surface.
• Surface specialists. Needlefish spend almost all their time in the top layer of water, hunting right beneath the shimmer.
• Living silver arrows. Their thin, elongated bodies and silvery sheen make them hard to see from below — ideal for ambushing prey.
• Strong leapers. Startled needlefish can skip and leap across the surface at surprising speed.
• The Eastern Pacific's agujón. Tylosurus fodiator, the Pacific agujon needlefish, is the large needlefish of our waters, found from Baja to Peru.

The pacific needlefish is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.