Family : Belonidae (Needlefishes)
Order : Beloniformes  (needle fishes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Hound needlefish
Fish Name : Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus
Max size : 150 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 30573); max. published weight: 6,350 g (Ref. 40637)
Environment : reef-associated; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 13 m
Climate : tropical; 26 - 29°C; 21°N - 1°N
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and South Africa (Ref. 5317) to French Polynesia (Ref. 6784), north to Japan (Ref. 559), south to New South Wales, Australia (Ref. 33390). Replaced by Tylosurus crocodilus fodiator in the eastern Pacific. Western Atlantic: New Jersey, USA to Brazil (Ref. 7251). Eastern Atlantic: Fernando Poo, Cameroon, Liberia, and Ascension Island (Ref. 5757); also from Senegal and Guinea (Ref. 28587) and from Cape Verde (Ref. 27000).
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21-25; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 19-22; Vertebrae: 80-86. Back dark bluish, sides silvery, white ventrally (Ref. 5317). A distinct black lateral keel on caudal peduncle; caudal fin deeply forked. Juveniles (to 20 cm BL) have an elevated black lobe in the posterior part of the dorsal fin. Jaw teeth point anteriorly in juveniles (to 40 cm BL) but are straight at all sizes in other species of Tylosurus (Ref. 9682). Has a relatively stout, cylindrical body and a shorter head as compared to other needle fishes.
Biology : A pelagic species (Ref. 26340) found over lagoon and seaward reefs. Solitary or in small groups. Feeds on fishes (Ref. 11889). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs may be found attached to objects in the water by tendrils on the egg's surface (Ref. 205). Feared by fishers because they can cause puncture wounds with their sharp snouts when jumping out of the water, e.g. when alarmed or attracted to lights at night. Although sold fresh and considered a good food fish, its market is limited due to the green-colored flesh (Ref. 5217)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : traumatogenic , Halstead, B.W., P.S. Auerbach and D.R. Campbell. 1990
Coordinator : Collette, Bruce B.
Main Ref : Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene. 1990. (Ref. 2334)

India country information
Common Names : ഊള, കേരന്, பம்மும் கோலா, Dethuntholi, Giant longtom, Keran, Oola, Pahmum-kolah, Tol, Wahlah-kuddera
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses