Submitted by DiverDave on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 07:01.
Needlefishes can be a challenge to ID.
I don't see bars on the body of the fish (flat needlefish). It also doesn't look too thin (keeltail needlefish). It's difficult for me to see dusky/darker parts of the tail area in the photo. I also can't tell how large the fish is by the picture. Houndfish have been reported in the area, so I would lean toward that ID, but I can't say for sure. Perhaps someone else can make a better call.
The anterior placement of dorsal and anal fins, and what looks like a dark line laterally in the beak (suggesting an upper and lower beak) indicate this is in the Belonidae, and overall shape is Tylosurus crocodilus, Houndfish, especially if this fish was in in the >50 cm range. Also the lack of a large school suggests it is likely a Houndfish.
Perhaps A Houndfish
Needlefishes can be a challenge to ID.
I don't see bars on the body of the fish (flat needlefish). It also doesn't look too thin (keeltail needlefish). It's difficult for me to see dusky/darker parts of the tail area in the photo. I also can't tell how large the fish is by the picture. Houndfish have been reported in the area, so I would lean toward that ID, but I can't say for sure. Perhaps someone else can make a better call.
Dave
Leaning Houndfish as well
Enhanced and enlarged it certainly looks most like a houndfish to me as well.
All the water on Earth is all the water there is.
It is a Halfbeak
Family Hemiramphidae
Ballyhoo: Hemiramphus brasiliensis, or
Balao: Hemiramphus balao
Houndfish
Message
The anterior placement of dorsal and anal fins, and what looks like a dark line laterally in the beak (suggesting an upper and lower beak) indicate this is in the Belonidae, and overall shape is Tylosurus crocodilus, Houndfish, especially if this fish was in in the >50 cm range. Also the lack of a large school suggests it is likely a Houndfish.