Species: Hyporhamphus unifasciatus, Atlantic Silverstripe Halfbeak, Common Halfbeak

Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Ranzani, 1841)

Atlantic Silverstripe Halfbeak, Common Halfbeak

Elongate and slender, body depth at both pectoral & pelvic origins average >15% SL; no teeth; lower jaw extended into a long beak; upper jaw short, triangular, covered with scales, distance from eye to tip of top jaw usually <70% of eye diameter; nostrils in a pit before eye; well developed ridge just before eye; gill rakers 31 (27-35) on 1st arch, 24 (19-28) on 2nd arch; dorsal rays 15 (13-16); anal rays 16 (14-18), fin origin under dorsal fin origin; pectoral rays 11 (9-12), fin relatively short, not reaching nostril when folded forward; tail fin concave; dorsal and anal fins covered with scales.

Greenish on back, silvery white below; 3 distinct black lines from along head to dorsal fin; a silver stripe along side from opercle opening to end of the tail base; tip of beak red; tail clear, with dark border.

Size: reaches 27 cm.

Habitat: surface inshore and estuarine waters.

Depth: 0-30 m.

Chesapeak Bay to southern Brazil, except Bermuda.