This puncture needle for a photoacoustic imager is a puncture needle (50, 150) for a photoacoustic imager (100, 200) including a semiconductor light-emitting element light source portion (10), and includes a puncture needle body (51) and a cover layer (52), formed on a surface (51d) of the puncture needle body, made of a cover material containing a material higher in light absorptivity than the puncture needle body and a resin material larger in linear expansion coefficient than the puncture needle body.
