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• body very elongate
• c: forked, lower lobe longer
• jaws: lower very long, upper short
• dorsal fin anal fin pelvic at rear

HALFBEAKS

Halfbeaks are elongate slender fishes that characteristically have the lower jaw extended into a long beak; the upper jaw is short and triangular in shape. There are no spines in the fins; the dorsal and anal fins are at the rear of the body, with their bases about opposite one another; the pelvic fins are under the abdomen; the pectoral fins are high on the sides and of variable length; the tail fin is forked or concave. The lateral line is positioned low on the sides of the body. May of these feature are sharer with flyingfishes, to which halfbeaks are closely relate.

Most species live near the sea's surface, frequently occurring in large schools. There are also a number of estuarine and freshwater species. They sometimes leap from the water and skitter across the surface. Euleptorhamphus viridis is capable of prolonged glides, similar to those of flying fishes. Halfbeaks exhibit diverse feeding habits; some are herbivores, feeding on floating seaweed, others are omnivores or carnivores, feeding on crustaceans and other small invertebrates. Their eggs are large and have adhesive filaments with which they attach themselves to floating objects. Although they are bony, the flesh of halfbeaks is considered good eating in some regions.

Halfbeaks occur circumglobally, mainly in tropical and temperate seas; the family contains 11 genera and about 104 species; 6 species in 3 genera occur in our region.

References

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