Ballyhoo halfbeak (Hemiramphus brasiliensis)

Scientific name: Hemiramphus brasiliensis Linnaeus, 1758

The Ballyhoo halfbeak (Hemiramphus brasiliensis) is a marine fish of the family Hemiramphidae.

Biology

An inshore, surface-dwelling species forming sizeable schools. Feeds mainly on sea grasses and small fishes. Mainly used as bait for offshore game fishes such as sailfishes and marlins; utilized as a food fish in the West Indies.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Hemiramphus brasiliensis
Family: Hemiramphidae (Halfbeaks)
Order: Beloniformes (Needle fishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 55.0
Common length: 35.0
Depth range: 0–5 m (0–16 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 5 m, usually 0 - 2 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea; absent in Bermuda. Eastern Atlantic: Cape Verde and Dakar, Senegal to Luanda, Angola.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.58 questionable; assuming tmax>3)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026