| Zenarchopterus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Zenarchopterus dunckeri | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Beloniformes |
| Family: | Zenarchopteridae |
| Genus: | Zenarchopterus T. N. Gill, 1864 |
| Type species | |
| Hemiramphus dispar Valenciennes, 1847 | |
Zenarchopterus is a genus of viviparous halfbeaks. These fish are found in marine, brackish and fresh water of the Indo-Pacific region. Despite being in the viviparous halfbeak family, Zenarchopterus species are oviparous. [1]
There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus: [2]
Hemiramphidae is a family of fishes that are commonly called halfbeaks, spipe fish or spipefish. They are a geographically widespread and numerically abundant family of epipelagic fish inhabiting warm waters around the world. The halfbeaks are named for their distinctive jaws, in which the lower jaws are significantly longer than the upper jaws. The similar viviparous halfbeaks have often been included in this family.
Beloniformes is an order composed of six families of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish:
Hemiramphus is a genus of schooling marine fish commonly called halfbeaks, garfish, or ballyhoos, and are members of the family Hemiramphidae. They inhabit the surface of warm temperate and tropical sea, and feed on algae, plankton, and smaller fish. Hemiramphus species are edible but are more important as food fish for larger predatory species including dolphinfish and billfish.
Nomorhamphus is a southeast Asian genus of viviparous halfbeaks from streams, rivers and lakes in Sulawesi (Indonesia) and the Philippines. They are all viviparous, producing small clutches of around a dozen fry about 10 to 15 mm long at birth. Females are generally larger than the males. In the largest species, such as Nomorhamphus liemi, the females typically reach about 10 cm (3.9 in) in length, whereas the males reach about 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in) in length. Males are also more brightly coloured than the females. Compared with many other halfbeaks, the lower mandible, or beak, is relatively short, on females in particular barely protruding beyond the length of the upper mandible. The males of some species have short, straight beaks, but those of others have short beaks that curve downwards forming a shape often compared to a goatee beard by aquarists. N. aenigma is unique within Nomorhamphus because of its lack of lower jaw elongation.
Dermogenys is a genus of viviparous halfbeaks. They are widely distributed in fresh and brackish water in South and Southeast Asia, ranging from India to the Philippines and Greater Sundas. They are all viviparous, producing small clutches of up to 30 fry that closely resemble the adults, except they are much smaller, around 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) in length. Adults are typically around 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in) in length, with females being slightly larger than males. Males tend to be more brightly coloured and are well known for being aggressive towards one another. The wrestling halfbeak, D. pusilla, is widely used in Asia as fighting animals upon which wagers are placed. Both sexes have lower jaws (mandibles) that are much longer than the upper ones, and from this comes the "halfbeak" name.
Hemirhamphodon is a genus of viviparous halfbeak fish. Most recognized species are endemic to lowland forest streams, rivers and swamps in Borneo, but H. phaiosoma and H. pogonognathus are also found elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The largest species reaches about 10 cm (4 in) in length. These fish are viviparous and are sometimes kept as aquarium fish, but otherwise have no commercial value.
The Dussumier's halfbeak, also known as the slender garfish, lives in reefs and shallow lagoons. It is an Indo-Pacific species which is found from the Seychelles east to the Tuamotu Islands, north to Hong Kong and Okinawa and south to northern Australia. They form schools which are found near the surface of lagoons and seaward reefs. The longest known specimen was 38.0 cm in length. This species was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1847 with the type locality given as the Seychelles. The specific name honours the French voyager and merchant Jean-Jacques Dussumier (1792-1883).
Mormyrus is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Mormyridae.
Allen's river garfish is a species of viviparous halfbeak endemic to West Papua in Indonesia.
Robert's river garfish is a species of viviparous halfbeak endemic to Papua New Guinea where it is only known from the area around Kokoda. This species grows to a length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in) SL.
Buffon's river garfish is a species of fish in the family Hemiramphidae.
Hyporhamphus is a genus of halfbeaks. The species in this genus are distributed throughout the warmer seas of the world, most species being Indo-Pacific and there are some freshwater species.
Ilisha is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Pristigasteridae. The genus contains 16 species. It is similar to Pellona but lacks a toothed hypo-maxilla. The genus has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical coastal waters and estuaries. Some species also enter rivers, and I. amazonica and I. novacula are largely–if not entirely–restricted to tropical rivers.
Rhynchorhamphus is a genus of halfbeaks.
Rhynchorhamphus georgii or long-billed halfbeak is a halfbeak of the family Hemiramphidae of the order Beloniformes.
The black-tipped halfbeak, Hyporhamphus neglectissimus, is a halfbeak from the family Hemiramphidae.
Zenarchopteridae, the viviparous halfbeaks, is a family in the order Beloniformes. The Zenarchopteridae exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, practicing internal fertilisation, and in some cases ovoviviparous or viviparous. The members in the family are mainly found in fresh and brackish water of tropical Asia and New Guinea, but the genus Zenarchopterus also includes marine species from the Indo-Pacific. Several, such as the wrestling halfbeak, have become commonly traded aquarium fish.
The feathered river garfish, also known as the estuarine halfbeak, spoon-fin garfish, spoon-fin river garfish and viviparous half beak, is a species of marine, freshwater, brackish and reef-associated oceanodromous viviparous halfbeak found in Indo-Pacific regional countries, such as Kenya, Mozambique, Seychelles, Madagascar, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, India, Vanuatu, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Samoa.
Exocoetoidea is a superfamily of fishes that comprises three families, the flying fishes, the halfbeaks and the viviparous halfbeaks. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Exocoetoidea is part of the suborder Exocoetoidei of the order Beloniformes.
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