Halfbeak
Hemiramphidae
A surface skimmer with only half a long beak.
Halfbeaks are slim schooling fishes whose lower jaw stretches far beyond the upper jaw. They cruise just under warm ocean surfaces and become meals for many larger hunters.
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From field guide to game table
Bring this Halfbeak home
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- 3 copies
Ready-to-play deck
Open Ocean Deck
Includes 3 cards featuring Halfbeak.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- Marine halfbeaks school near the surface of tropical and subtropical seas.
- Favorite foods
- They nibble algae, plankton, small crustaceans, and other surface morsels.
- Size check
- Most 7-18 in (18-46 cm)—forearm length
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
Their family name means half-beak, describing the much longer lower jaw.
- 2
Halfbeaks are close relatives of flying fishes and needlefishes.
- 3
Billfish, tuna, wahoo, sharks, and dolphins all hunt them.
- 4
Many species lay eggs with threads that fasten to floating or underwater plants.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
Tight surface schools can sprint and leap away from approaching predators.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Spot the long lower jaw beneath a much shorter triangular upper jaw.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.