Tylosurus crocodilus fodiator Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
Tylosurus fodiator, the Mexican needlefish, is a species of needlefish from the familyBelonidae which is found only in the eastern Pacific,[2] from the Gulf of California south to Ecuador including the Galapagos, Cocos and Malpelo Islands.[1] It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the houndfish but is now regarded as valid species.[3] This species is normally encountered close to the coast but can be found in offshore waters. It is a predatory species, feeding mainly on small fishes. They lay eggs which adhere to objects in the water by filaments which cover the outer layer of the eggs.[2] This species was described in 1882 by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert with the type locality given as Mazatlán in Sinaloa, western Mexico.[3]