Genus
Xenentodon
- Species
- 2
- Photographed
- 2 of 2
- Difficulty rated
- 2 of 2

Xenentodon cancilaFreshwater Needlefish
(Hamilton, 1822)
The freshwater needlefish, Xenentodon cancila, is a belonid from Pakistan east through India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Often called 'freshwater garfish', it only superficially resembles the true gars, and most of its relatives in the Belonidae are marine or estuarine. A near-exclusive inhabitant of the upper water column, it is surprisingly peaceful with anything too large to swallow and is best kept in numbers of four or more, in a tank of 180 ∗ 60 cm or more.

Xenentodon canciloides
(Bleeker, 1854)
Xenentodon canciloides is a freshwater needlefish from Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand, and is considered to occur in the Mekong. Rarely seen in the ornamental trade, it is far less common there than its congener X. cancila, from which it differs in its slender, delicate jaws and smaller size, not exceeding 30 cm TL. A near-exclusive inhabitant of the upper water column, it is surprisingly peaceful with anything too large to swallow and is best kept in numbers of four or more.