Halfbeak
Family of fishes / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the United States Navy submarine, see USS Halfbeak (SS-352).
Hemiramphidae is a family of fishes that are commonly called halfbeaks, spipe fish or spipefish. They are a geographically widespread and numerically abundant family of epipelagic fish inhabiting warm waters around the world. The halfbeaks are named for their distinctive jaws, in which the lower jaws are significantly longer than the upper jaws. The similar viviparous halfbeaks (family Zenarchopteridae) have often been included in this family.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Genera ...
Halfbeak | |
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Ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis), a marine halfbeak | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Beloniformes |
Superfamily: | Exocoetoidea |
Family: | Hemiramphidae T. N. Gill, 1859 |
Genera | |
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Though not commercially important themselves, these forage fish support artisanal fisheries and local markets worldwide. They are also fed upon by other commercially important predatory fishes, such as billfishes, mackerels, and sharks.