Halfbeak

In 1758, Carl Linnaeus was the first to scientifically describe a halfbeak, Esox brasiliensis (now Hemiramphus brasiliensis). In 1775 Peter Forsskål described two more species as Esox, Esox far and Esox marginatus. In 1816, Georges Cuvier created the genus Hemiramphus; from then on, all three were classified as Hemiramphus. In 1859, Theodore Nicholas Gill erected the Hemiramphidae, deriving their name from Hemiramphus, the family's type genus. Currently, eight genera (including 60 species) are placed within the family Hemiramphidae: • Arrhamphus Günther, 1866 • Chriodorus Goode & Bean, 1882 • Euleptorhamphus Gill, 1859 • Hemiramphus Cuvier, 1816 • Hyporhamphus Gill, 1859 • Melapedalion Fowler, 1934 • Oxyporhamphus Gill, 1864 • Rhynchorhamphus Fowler, 1928 This family is primarily marine and found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, though some inhabit estuaries and rivers. ==Evolution==

The halfbeaks' fossil record extends into the Lower Tertiary. Apart from differences in the length of the upper and lower jaws, recent and fossil halfbeaks are distinguished by the fusion of the third pair of upper pharyngeal bones into a plate. ==Phylogeny==

}} }} The phylogeny of the halfbeaks is in a state of flux. On the one hand, there is little question that they are most closely related to three other families of streamlined, surface water fishes: the flyingfishes, needlefishes, and sauries. Traditionally, these four families have been taken to comprise the order Beloniformes. On the other hand, recent studies have demonstrated that rather than forming a single monophyletic group (a clade), the halfbeak family actually includes a number of lineages ancestral to the flyingfishes and the needlefishes. In other words, as traditionally defined, the halfbeak family is paraphyletic. ==Morphology==

The halfbeaks are elongated, streamlined fish adapted to living in open water. They can grow to over in standard length in the case of Euleptorhampus viridis. Their scales are relatively large, cycloid (smooth), and easily detached. No spines are in the fins. ==Range and habitat==

Halfbeaks inhabit warm seas, predominantly at the surface, in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. A few are found in estuaries. Most species of marine halfbeaks are known from continental coastlines, but some extend into the western and central Pacific, and one species (Hyporhamphus ihi) is endemic to New Zealand. Hemiramphus is a worldwide marine genus. ==Ecology and behavior==

Feeding Marine halfbeaks are omnivores feeding on algae, marine plants such as seagrasses, plankton, invertebrates such as pteropods and crustaceans, and smaller fishes. For some subtropical species, at least, juveniles are more predatory than adults. Some tropical species feed on animals during the day and plants at night, while other species alternate between carnivory in the summer and herbivory in the winter. They are, in turn, eaten by many ecologically and commercially important fish, such as billfish, mackerel, and sharks, so are a key link between trophic levels. Behavior Marine halfbeaks are typically pelagic, schooling, forage fish. Reproduction Hemiramphidae species are all external fertilizers. The eggs of Hemiramphus brasiliensis and H. balao are typically in diameter and have attaching filaments. They hatch when they grow to about in diameter. Hyporhamphus melanochir eggs are slightly larger, around in diameter, and are unusually large when they hatch, being up to in size. Relatively little is known about the ecology of juvenile marine halfbeaks, though estuarine habitats seem to be favored by at least some species. The southern sea garfish Hyporhamphus melanochir grows rapidly at first, attaining a length up to in the first three years, after which growth slows. This species lives for a maximum age of about 9 years, when the fish reach up to and weigh about . ==Relationship to humans==

Halfbeak fisheries Halfbeaks are not a major target for commercial fisheries, though small fisheries for them exist in some places, for example in South Australia, where fisheries target the southern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir). and the eastern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus australis). Halfbeaks are caught by a variety of methods, including seines and pelagic trawls, dip-netting under lights at night, and haul nets. In some localities, significant bait fisheries exist to supply sport fishermen. ==See also==