Fish Identification Photos: Naos Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus naos: The Naos Halfbeak has a very silvery appearance, translucent green back, silver stripe along the flank with a dark boarder, white belly, ridge before the eyes, and a characteristic long lower jaw with a red tip.

The anal fins of the Naos Halfbeak are directly under the dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are closer to the caudal fin than to the eye pupil. The pectoral fins are short, and the caudal fin is concave and clear with a dark border.

The Naos Halfbeak can be easily confused with five other halfbeaks: the California Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus rosae (ridge before the eyes, slight forked caudal fin and dorsal fin commences slightly before the anal fin origin); the Choelo Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus gilli (short beak with a red tip with the distance from the pelvic fins to the caudal fin being greater than the distance from the pelvic fins to the eye pupil); the Longfin Halfbeak, Hemiramphus saltator (a black long lower beak, a caudal fin that is deeply forked, and there is no ridge before the eyes); the Ribbon Halfbeak, Euleptorhamphus viridis (long slender body with disproportionate large anal, dorsal and pectoral fins); and the Silverstripe Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (distance from eye to origin of anal fin equal to distance from anal fin to base of caudal fin).

The Naos Halfbeak is a member of the Hemiramphidae or Halfbeak Family which includes the halfbeaks of the genus Hyporhampus.

The Naos Halfbeak is a coastal pelagic species that reaches a maximum length of 12 inches. It is normally found in the first 90 feet in the water column over sandy bottoms. The Naos Halfbeak is found in all Mexican waters with the exception of the oceanic islands.

Naos Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus naos: Caught on the fly by Dutch angler Ton van Dalen at East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Description and photo courtesy Peter Langstraat.