Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

garfish Belone belone, a fish of the Mediterranean and E. Atlantic which is remarkably thin, with a needle-like beak, and capable of planing along the surface of the water and even leaping over low rocks. It has a maximum length of 75 cm (30") and its body is thick enough to yield good fillets of flesh, suitable for poaching or frying. However, its bones are green, not just greenish but a good strong viridian, and this puts many people off eating it, although it is perfectly wholesome.

The Indo-Pacific harbours several species of garfish, of which Tylosurus crocodilus may be taken as typical. It is longer than Belone belone, but otherwise similar and an equally fast swimmer.