African halfbeak (Hyporhamphus picarti)

Scientific name: Hyporhamphus picarti Valenciennes, 1847

African halfbeak (Hyporhamphus picarti)

The African halfbeak (Hyporhamphus picarti) is a brackish-water fish of the family Hemiramphidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Morocco and Dakar, Senegal to Luanda, Angola. Also in the southern Mediterranean from Lebanon and Israel south and west to Gibraltar.

Biology

Occurs in coastal waters. Often enters estuaries. Live on or near the bottom where it feeds on algae and organic debris which it gathers from the surface of the sediment. Forms schools. Attracted to lights at night. Eggs are attached to aquatic vegetation by sticky threads.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hyporhamphus picarti
Family
Hemiramphidae (Halfbeaks)
Order
Beloniformes (Needle fishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
20.0
Common length
15.0
Environment
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Morocco and Dakar, Senegal to Luanda, Angola. Also in the southern Mediterranean from Lebanon and Israel south and west to Gibraltar.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated