Ballyhoo
Ballyhoo, also known as halfbeaks, are a species of fish belonging to the family Hemiramphidae. Recognized for their distinctive long lower jaws, ballyhoos typically reach a length of about 16 inches (40 centimeters) and possess a silvery-gray body accented with bright orange-red tips on their lower jaws and tail fins. These fish are widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Massachusetts and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, but they are notably absent from the waters around Bermuda, where they are replaced by Bermuda halfbeaks.
Ballyhoos are popular as baitfish among saltwater fishermen, particularly for catching larger species such as marlin, sailfish, and swordfish. As carnivorous creatures, they feed on smaller fish, crustaceans, insects, and worms. Ballyhoos reproduce through either ovoviviparous methods, where young develop inside eggs in the female's body, or through egg-laying, though specific breeding habits are not well-documented. Their young exhibit vertical bars on their bodies, which fade as they mature. Ballyhoos play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, both as predators and as prey for larger fish.
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Ballyhoo
Although ballyhoos are common throughout their range, they do not inhabit the waters around Bermuda. They are replaced in that region by Bermuda halfbeaks.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beloniformes
Family: Hemiphamphidae
Genus: Hemiramphus
Species: Brasiliensis
Ballyhoos are also known as halfbeaks. This is because of their very long lower jaws. They are a popular baitfish used by saltwater fishermen. They are typically used as a bait for large fish such as marlin, sailfish, and swordfish. They generally grow to a length of about 16 inches (40 centimeters). Like most other halfbeaks, their lower jaws extend far beyond their upper jaws. Although their bodies are basically silvery gray, the very tips of their lower jaws, as well as the upper lobes of their caudal, or tail, fins are bright orange-red. Ballyhoos' caudal fins help propel them through the water. As they paddle through the water with their pectoral and pelvic fins, their caudal fins move from side to side helping to propel these fish. Ballyhoos' pectoral fins are located just past their gills on both sides of their bodies. Their pelvic fins are located on their bellies near their anal fins, which are right next to their tails. Ballyhoos' dorsal and anal fins, or back and belly, fins work together to keep them balanced as they swim. Unlike their other fins, their dorsal and anal fins do not have scales.
Since ballyhoos need oxygen to survive, and do not have lungs, like humans, with which to take oxygen from the air, they must rely on the watery surroundings for the oxygen they need. Ballyhoos take water into their mouths, keep the oxygen they need, and release the waste chemicals through the gills on the sides of their heads.
Ballyhoos may be found throughout the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil and the eastern Atlantic. Young ballyhoos are typically found farther out to sea and closer to the surface of the water than adult ballyhoos. The adults are usually found in bays and throughout shore water, especially near reefs in the southeastern United States. The only area of the Atlantic in which they are not found is the area around Bermuda. In this area ballyhoos are replaced by their cousins the Bermuda halfbeaks.
Ballyhoos are carnivorous fish. This means they survive on a diet of mostly meat. Ballyhoos feed on a variety of aquatic, or water-living, creatures including smaller fish, small crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, and worms.
Like other halfbeaks, ballyhoos are preyed upon by larger, predatory sea creatures. They are also threatened by humans who use them as bait to catch larger fish.
Since some species of halfbeaks are ovoviviparous and others are egg-laying, it is not known for sure which method of reproduction is common in ballyhoos. The word ovoviviparous is used when an animal's young develop within eggs inside the bodies of the females and are then born live. Ballyhoos may be either egg-laying or ovoviviparous halfbeaks. Young ballyhoos have vertical bars along their bodies. Eventually these bars fade away and the young begin looking like their parents. Young ballyhoos have fewer bars than their cousins the young balao species. Nothing else is known about the breeding habits of ballyhoos.
It is not known how long ballyhoos live.
Similar species:
- Balao halfbeak (Hemiramphus balao)
- Bermuda halfbeak (Hemiramphus bermudensis)
Bibliography
“Hemiramphus brasiliensis Redtailed Balao.” Animal Diversity Web, 2024, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hemiramphus‗brasiliensis/classification. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
Scassellati, Erica. “10 Types of Bait Fish Ranked For Effectiveness.” A-Z Animals, 17 Aug. 2023, a-z-animals.com/blog/types-of-bait-fish-ranked-for-effectiveness. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“What is A Ballyhoo.” Anchors Up Carolina, 2 Sept. 2021, anchorsupcarolina.com/what-is-a-ballyhoo. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.