Definitions for halfbeak
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word halfbeak
tropical and subtropical marine and freshwater fishes having an elongated body and long protruding lower jaw
Any slender, marine fish of the genus Hemirhamphus, having the upper jaw much shorter than the lower; -- called also balahoo.
any slender, marine fish of the genus Hemirhamphus, having the upper jaw much shorter than the lower; -- called also balahoo
The halfbeaks are a geographically widespread and numerically abundant family of epipelagic fish inhabiting warm waters around the world. The family Hemiramphidae is divided into two subfamilies, the primarily marine Hemiramphinae and the freshwater or estuarine Zenarchopterinae. The halfbeaks are named for their distinctive jaws, in which the lower jaws are significantly longer than the upper jaws. The halfbeaks show an exceptionally wide range of reproductive modes. These include egg-laying, ovoviviparity, and true vivipary where the mother is connected to the developing embryos via a placenta-like structure. In some of the livebearing species, developing embryos are also known to exhibit oophagy or intrauterine cannibalism, where developing embryos feed on eggs or other embryos within the uterus. 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. Some halfbeaks are maintained as aquarium fish.
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