Why are gars sometimes confused with needlefishes even though they are not closely related?

Gars and needlefishes are often confused primarily due to their shared physical characteristics and the overlapping use of common names. Both groups possess long, slender bodies and elongated jaws equipped with sharp, needlelike teeth, which gives them a similar appearance.12

The confusion is further compounded by linguistic usage, particularly in Europe, where the common names gar, garfish, or garpike are frequently applied to needlefishes (family Belonidae). Despite these superficial similarities and shared nomenclature, the two are not closely related. Gars belong to the infraclass Holostei, a group of primitive ray-finned fishes, whereas needlefishes are a distinct family of modern bony fishes.324