Common halfbeak
Hyporhamphus unifasciatus
A slender surface-dwelling fish of warm western Atlantic coastal waters, often found in bays, estuaries, lagoons, and mangrove edges. It feeds near the surface on small crustaceans, insects, plankton, and bits of plant matter, using its elongated lower jaw to pick at food in the water film. When alarmed, it darts rapidly and may skip along the surface to escape predators. Despite its common name, it is a halfbeak rather than a true needlefish, with the lower jaw much longer than the upper jaw.
- Type
- Water
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
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- Common halfbeak