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Needle Nose Gar

Needlefish ~ Freshwater Garfish ~ Silver Needlefish

Family: BelonidaeXenentodon cancilaPhoto © Animal-World, Courtesy David Brough

  The surface dwelling Needle Nose Gar resembles a twig floating in the water, and so sometimes is called a Stickfish!

   This Needle Nose Gar, also called the Freshwater Garfish or Silver Needlefish, is not a gar at all but is actually one of the few freshwater members of the needlefish family. The common name of gar is used because there are similarities between this fish and the true gars. True gars are illegal to keep in many areas so this fish makes a good, legal substitute.

   Needlefish are schooling fish so they do best in groups of 3 or more. Its mouth full of rows of sharp teeth might make you think that this is an aggressive fish, but the Needle Nose Gar really isn't. Those teeth are used strictly to hold their live meals. It will grab its prey whole in its mouth, then adeptly maneuver it about to be swallowed. Tank mates should be large enough so they cannot be swallowed by a needlefish and this is larger than you may think. They are able to eat prey that is almost twice as thick as their bodies are.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:    The Needle Nose Gar, one of the Needlefish species also called the Freshwater Garfish, was described by Hamilton in 1822. They are very common throughout much of Southeast Asia; Sri Lanka and India eastward to the Mekong.

Status:    The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:    The Needle Nose Gar is a long thin fish that swims close to the surface and resembles a stick, so is sometimes referred to as a Stickfish. It mouth is a very long, narrow, and full of sharp teeth. The body is a silvery green along the top becoming lighter towards its underside, and there is a dark horizontal band running along its flanks.

Size - Weight:    This fish can grow up to 16 inches (40 cm).

Care and feeding:    The Needle Nose Gars are carnivores, a predator that in the wild mainly eats crustaceans. In the aquarium they prefer meals of live shrimp, fish, crickets or even tadpoles. Some have been trained to eat frozen/defrosted shrimp or fish.
  Needle Nose Gar are surface dwellers so surface area in their aquarium is more important than tank capacity. A 50 gallon tank is recommended but a shorter tank with the same surface dimensions will work okay.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:    Needlefish swim at or near the surface of the water.

Acceptable Water Conditions:    Temp: 71 - 82° F (22 - 28° C)
   Ph: 7.0 to 7.5
   Hardness: 20° dGH

Social Behaviors:    Needle Nose Gars are not aggressive but they are greedy predators that have been known to bite first, and then decide if what they bit was food. There are stories of mistaken identity where their keeper put their hand into the tank too quickly and was bitten because the fish thought it was feeding time. They do best in schools of three or more, and if other tank mates are too large to be swallowed by the needlefish, it should be safe.

Sexual Differences:    The dorsal and anal fins of the males will usually have a black edge.

Breeding/Reproduction:    The Needle Nose Gar has been bred in captivity. They spawn in the morning, with the female depositing a small number of eggs on plants. The eggs adhere to the plants with a sticky thread. They hatch in 10 days with the fry being about 12 mm and ready to feed on small live foods.
   This is what the good folks at Mongabay.com have to say about a breeding experience with this fish: The planted tank used was about 70 gallons, the water had a pH of about 6.5, dH was 12-15 and the temperature ranged from 77 to 81 F. They spawn at dawn and each day for several days they will attach 5 to 15 eggs to the plants. The eggs hatch in about 10 days and can be raised on newly hatched brine shrimp and newborn livebearer. 

Availability:    The Needle Nose Gars are commonly available.

Author: Ken Childs
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS

Lastest Comments on Needle Nose Gar View all 14 comments on Needle Nose Gar Add Your Comment

Flo - 2009-02-27 If feeders are stored in the tank with Gars will they eat when they are hungry or get use to the feeders and go with out food? I have been puting shrimp plets in the tank because I'm afarid that they are not eating the feeders... Click For Replies (1) ronnie - 2012-02-05 they will eat when they get hungery i buy six dozen at a time for two they last about a mounth Reply

marisol - 2012-01-27 I have 2 Needle nose.. they have 5 babies... I don't how care? They have 3 days old... what do you recommend.. thank you Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2012-01-27 Scroll up in this Animal World article and you will note that these little guys are carnivores so if it will fit in their mouth, they wil probably eat it. So I'd remove the babies to another tank before they are seen as fish food. They can be fed small pieces of brine shrimp. Reply

Robert Saris - 2011-08-13 I just bought a needle nose gar yesterday and I tried to feed him goldfish but he didn't eat them. The fish keeper said that's what he fed him is there something wrong with him or is he just getting used to the tank? It's 100 gallon. Click For Replies (5) Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2011-08-14 I would give him a couple days to acclimate to the new environment - he is probably nervous right now. You may also want to try other types of live food in the meantime - such as shrimp or crickets. He might eat frozen shrimp that have been defrosted as well, although most don't like frozen foods. David Brough - 2011-09-11 Are you feeding the same size goldfish as what the keeper used? chrissy st jules - 2011-10-10 the first persons right just let him get used to his tank i bought a older oscar last month he's about 10inchs long and 2 wide and he didnt eat for 2 weeks until he was ready and used to his surroundings and i tried everything different size gold fish and feeders pellets brine shrimp i mean everything and he wouldnt do any thing it almost had me worried but now hes eating like a champ :) :) hope it works out for ya john - 2011-12-20 Odds are that the gold fish are too round, try feeder minnows or guppies. Alex Gtp Parrette - 2012-01-20 mine ate as soon as they hit the water. it helps to have smaller fish, like very young minnows, in the tank Reply

john - 2011-12-19 Hi, I just found one of these at petco and was wondering if I should get it it and will i be able to keep it in a 20 gallon with a green puffer and some senegal bichirs.Please answer fast because I have a feeling someone else wants it too. Click For Replies (1) Anonymous - 2012-01-13 These fish need about a 55 gallon tank and need to be fed live food like goldfish if your bichir and puffer are too small they will get eaten but you could have those fish in there for 3 months and then upgrade Reply

john - 2011-12-05 Hi, I heard of a fish called the malaysian halfbeak and I was thinking about getting one. They look alot like this fish and are livebearers. They only get 3 inches long. Any suggestions? bonus question: is there a way to comment on a group of fish instead of just one fish(like commenting on cichlids instead of say, firemouth cichlid)? Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2011-12-06 Yes, you can place a comment on the group page. Easiest way is to go HOME at Animal World. Then enter cichlids, goldfish whatever in the search. You will come up with the general page on that group and can enter your comments at the bottom. Have fun. Reply

Zack risner - 2011-06-27 I have the same problem mine won't eat anything. Click For Replies (2) Anonymous - 2011-09-11 Try neons. David Brough - 2011-09-11 Try small feeder guppies too. Neons are a bit expensive, no? I'd give him a few days if not a week to get acclimated as well. Reply

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