Hyporhamphus naos Banford & Collette, 2001
Pacific silverstripe halfbeak
Hyporhamphus naos
photo by Robertson, R.

Family:  Hemiramphidae (Halfbeaks)
Max. size:  29 cm SL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 74.5 g
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; brackish; marine; depth range - 0 m
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: from Baja California, with strays north to San Diego, CA, south to Paita, Peru and in the Galapagos Islands.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-16. This species is distinguished by the following characters: dorsal and anal fin bases of adults are covered with scales; first gill arch rakers total 29-39, second gill arch rakers total 21-28; pelvic to caudal extension falls anterior to opercle and posterior to upper jaw; for continental population, pelvic to caudal distance usually 0.44-0.47 to SL; preorbital length to orbital diameter usually greater than 0.70 (in 81% of 119 specimens examined) (Ref. 42105).
Biology:  Inhabits inshore, coastal and estuarine; found along sand beaches, in lower tidal streams and mangroves. Usually encountered in schools at the surface of the water (ref. 42105).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 22 May 2007 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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