A seven-year-old Russian boy has undergone surgery after a needlefish attacked him in Thailand and left part of its jaw embedded in his face.
The marine creature struck the child while he was swimming, driving its beak into his face just a few centimetres from his eye and causing a deep laceration.
Doctors in Thailand initially cleaned and stitched the open wound so that the family could return home to Russia to seek specialist medical treatment.
Maxillofacial surgery in Vladivostok
Once back in Russia, maxillofacial surgeons took charge of the boy's treatment at Regional Clinical Hospital No. 2 in the city of Vladivostok. Maxillofacial specialists focus on treating severe facial injuries, trauma and structural conditions affecting the jaws and mouth.
The hospital said on its Telegram channel that the surgical team carried out precision work that resembled the craftsmanship of a jeweller. Surgeons removed the fragment of the fish jaw through the narrow, long wound channel that the needle-like beak had left behind, completing the operation without making a single additional cut on the child's face.
Hospital officials confirmed that the child is now recovering well and is no longer in any danger.
Needlefish behaviour and marine risks
Needlefish, belonging to the family Belonidae, are long, slender fish found in open waters and shallow reefs across tropical and subtropical seas. The predators hunt near the water surface and have elongated, narrow jaws filled with sharp teeth. When hunting or startled by predators, light, or swimmers, they can launch themselves out of the water at high speeds, turning their pointed snouts into dangerous spear-like projectiles capable of piercing human skin.
Thailand is a tropical destination known for its warm marine environment, which hosts an array of diverse sea life along its beaches and resort islands. While needlefish attacks on humans are rare, their sharp beaks pose hazards to swimmers and waders when collisions occur in shallow waters.
The incident follows another recent encounter in Thailand involving a Russian holidaymaker. A Russian woman was previously stung by a venomous jellyfish after stepping into the water at a beach in Phuket, experiencing sudden and severe pain as she entered the sea.
