WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Ballyhoo Halfbeak

Hemiramphus brasiliensis

Also known as: Baitfish, Balao, Bally, Ballyhoo, Gar, Needlefish, Red-tailed Balao, Yellowtail Ballyhoo

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2015
Adult
@000A7X · PLAYA COSTA VERDE, Cuba · March 20191 / 1
01

Overview

Found in large schools, over very shallow, surface waters, above banks, reef flats, and seagrass beds, of coral reefs. Varies in colour with the light reflection.

Halfbeaks hunt smaller fish just below the surface of the sea, but in turn the are also hunted by larger fish like Tuna and can sometimes be seen leaping into the air and seeming to skip along on their tails on the surface of the water to escape predators.
Potentially dangerous at night when attracted to light as they leap out of the water and have been known to cause fatalities with their beaks!

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How to identify

Fins & Tail
yellow fins

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean, Eastern Atlantic
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found in large schools, over very shallow, surface waters, above banks, reef flats, and seagrass beds, of coral reefs.

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Adult photos 1

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderBeloniformes
    5. familyHemiramphidae
    6. genusHemiramphus
    7. speciesHemiramphus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Halfbeaks (Hemiramphidae)