Jump to content


Photo

strange needles


  • Please log in to reply
8 replies to this topic

#1 FishyJackson

FishyJackson
  • NANFA Guest
  • Long Island

Posted 25 August 2017 - 05:45 PM

was fishing at a dock on Long Island yesterday, caught 2 very unusual Needlefish.  The first I'm 99.9% sure this is an Atlantic Needlefish, with no Needle.  It must have gotten it's needle stuck in something and it broke off

 

Attached File  20170824_100305_Moment-1.jpg   48.41KB   3 downloads

 

Later I was doing one of my futile attempts to micro hook a Northern Pipefish and I thought I did the impossible when one of them attacked the bait of nowhere.  Unfortunately it was a micro needlefish.  Before I could do the ID process I spotted a Banded Rudderfish which I've been trying to catch for 6 years and quickly dropped it in the bucket and went after the Rudder for like 20 minutes.  When I came back to document it was dead/dying, which sucked.  Not great documentation, the bars began to fade but one of the pics you can see all of the bars/bands. 

 

I'm not ready to pronounce this just a regular juvenile Atlantic Needlefish just yet.  This fish had vertical bars all over the body, and I cannot find anything on the internet showing or describing vertical bars on juvenile Atlantic Needles.  Flat Needlefish do have 12-14 vertical bars, which is what this little guy has.  What you guys think?

 

Attached File  20170824_111113_Moment-1.jpg   18.77KB   2 downloads

 

Attached File  20170824_111402_Moment(2)-1.jpg   30.8KB   2 downloads

 



#2 FishyJackson

FishyJackson
  • NANFA Guest
  • Long Island

Posted 28 August 2017 - 07:27 AM

Noone knows aye?  Was hoping someone would have collected a 3-5 inch Atlantic Needlefish in a seine net at some point and could attest to the presence of black blotches all down the body.  

 

There is a lot at stake with this ID.  Either this is a very rare catch of a  juvenile Flat Needlefish in Long Island waters, or it's a juvenile Atlantic Needlefish...and the Atlantic Needlefish describers need to be held accountable for not including in their descriptions that juveniles can have black markings all down the body.  Frankly, to not include that in one single description on the internet is borderline criminal negligence, and extremely disrespectful to the Atlantic Needlefish.  They deserve better than that, and the readers of an Atlantic Needlefish description deserve to know all possible appearances of these fish.

 

That said, I'm leaning on this being a rare Flat Needle as of now.  Of course if I had gotten a clear pic of the dorsal/anal fins, or could just remember if the fish seemed flatter than normal, this wouldn't be an issue.   



#3 UncleWillie

UncleWillie
  • NANFA Member
  • Georgia

Posted 29 August 2017 - 09:19 AM

What about a houndfish (Tylosorus crocodilus) or something similar?  That's all I have.  I've caught some houndfish in FL and some of the smaller ones had black splotches/bars on the body.


Willie P


#4 FishyJackson

FishyJackson
  • NANFA Guest
  • Long Island

Posted 29 August 2017 - 02:20 PM

Thanks Willie, Houndfish are listed on the Long Island Marine Fishes list so it's definately plausible.  They are listed as RARE along with Flat Needlefish and  Agujon.  Atlantic Needles are common, but there's still no indication they ever look like that, and in this case you've actually seen Houndfish with markings, so seems quite possible.  

 

Fortunately, we will have an official answer soon...In a move that should come as a surprise to no one, Fishy Jackson has sent the specimen in to the lab for DNA testing lol.  Will report back with results 



#5 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 29 August 2017 - 03:09 PM

How much $$$ do you stand to lose?

There is a lot at stake with this ID.   


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#6 FishyJackson

FishyJackson
  • NANFA Guest
  • Long Island

Posted 29 August 2017 - 05:17 PM

How much $$$ do you stand to lose?

 

lol it's the Atlantic Needlefish describers that stand to take a hit financially if this turns out to be just a regular Atlantic Needle.  They should be able to avoid jail time but the fines will be hefty 



#7 FishyJackson

FishyJackson
  • NANFA Guest
  • Long Island

Posted 06 September 2017 - 02:13 PM

The DNA results are in.....

 

Attached File  DNA.PNG   77.44KB   2 downloads



#8 FishyJackson

FishyJackson
  • NANFA Guest
  • Long Island

Posted 06 September 2017 - 02:18 PM

Extremely random catch.  Agujon Needlefish

 

Out of 4 possibilities (Atlantic Needlefish/Houndfish/Flat Needlefish/Agujon), I deemed Agujon to be the 4th most likely.  Definitely was a great time to go back to the DNA well  



#9 Chasmodes

Chasmodes
  • NANFA Member
  • Central Maryland

Posted 06 September 2017 - 05:32 PM

Congrats!!!! Very cool!  

 

P.S.  I saved my money for the Powerball ticket...and lost.


Kevin Wilson





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users