Halfbeak
The halfbeak is a fish known for its distinctive appearance, characterized by a long lower jaw and a short upper jaw, giving it the impression of having only half a beak. It belongs to the family Hemiramphidae, which includes over 100 species across 13 genera. Typically growing to about 16 inches (40 centimeters), the halfbeak features a silvery body with a yellowish-red tip on its lower jaw and upper lobe of its caudal fin. This fish propels itself through water using its dorsal and anal fins for balance, while its caudal fin operates like a propeller.
Halfbeaks inhabit bays and estuaries along the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Maine to Argentina, and are less commonly found around coral reefs compared to their relatives. As omnivores, their diet consists of insects, small fish, crustaceans, and some plant matter. While they are preyed upon by larger marine animals, they also face threats from human activities, particularly fishing. The reproductive habits of halfbeaks vary among species, with some being egg-layers and others giving birth to live young through a process known as ovoviviparity. Their lifespan is estimated to be around four years, but they are not currently considered threatened.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Halfbeak
The halfbeak is so named for its long lower jaw and short upper jaw, which gives it the appearance of only having half a beak. This fish shares its name with the common name of the family Hemiphamphidae, or the family of halfbeaks.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beloniformes
Family: Hemiramphidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
There are 13 genera and over 100 species of fish in the Hemiphamidae family which contains halfbeaks. The halfbeak generally grows to a length of about 16 inches (40 centimeters). Its body is more rounded and not as deep as its cousins the balao and ballyhoo species. The halfbeak has a short upper jaw and an extended lower jaw as is characteristic of the family in which it belongs. In contrast with this fish's silvery body, the tip of its lower jaw, as well as the upper lobe of its caudal fin, is yellowish red. The dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins of the halfbeak are only scaly near their bases.
The halfbeak moves through the water by the movement of its many fins. Its dorsal and anal fins, which are located just above and below its caudal fin on its back and belly, work together to keep the halfbeak balanced in the water. The caudal fin moves from side to side, like a ship's propeller, helping to propel the fish through the water. Behind the halfbeak's gills on either side of its body are its pectoral fins. These fins work together with the fish's pelvic fins, which are located in the middle of its belly, to paddle the fish as it swims.
The halfbeak, like other fish, must have oxygen to survive. Since it does not have lungs and cannot process oxygen from the air, it must find the oxygen it needs in the water in which it lives. The halfbeak takes water into its mouth, keeps the oxygen it needs, and filters the chemical wastes out through the gills on the sides of its head.
The halfbeak inhabits bays and estuaries in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean around Maine and Bermuda, as well as from the northern Gulf of Mexico to Argentina. It is less common around coral reefs than its cousin the ballyhoo.
Like other members of the Order beloniformes, the halfbeak eats a diet mainly of meat. The halfbeak feeds on insects, insect larvae, smaller fish, small crustaceans, and small, drifting sea-life known as plankton. However, the halfbeak may also eat algae, sea grasses, and plankton. Because the halfbeak eats meat and plants, it is an omnivore.
The halfbeak is typically preyed upon by larger animals, inlcuding billfish, mackerel, and sharks. It is also threatened by humans. Fishermen use the halfbeak as bait to catch larger fish.
The mating habits of the halfbeak are not known for certain. Since different species of halfbeaks reproduce in different ways, the halfbeak may be both an egg-laying fish and an ovoviviparous fish. The word ovoviviparous is used when an animal's young develop within eggs inside the mother's body and then hatch from the eggs while still inside her body and are born live.
The life span of the halfbeak is believed to be around four years. No species of halfbeak is threatened.
Bibliography
“American Halfbeak Hyporhamphus Meeki.” Chesapeake Bay Program, 2024, www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/american-halfbeak. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “Family: Hemiramphidae, Halfbeak, Halfbeaks.” Shorefishes - The Fishes, 2023, biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/taxon/902. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.