The flat needlefish (Ablennes hians), the only known member of the genus Ablennes, is a marine fish of the family Belonidae. Flat needlefish are considered gamefish, frequently caught with the help of artificial lights, but are not often eaten because of their green-colored flesh. The generic name Ablennes – formerly misspelled Athlennes – means ‘without mucosity’, from the ancient Greek privative a- prefix and blennos (‘mucus’).Its specific name hians is Latin for "gaping".