Ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis)

The Ballyhoo or Hemiramphus brasiliensis is a saltwater fish that is often used as bait. This fish is a species of Halfbeak and has a silver body with green and black on it back and darker fins. As you can see, this fish has a "beak" that sticks out quite far. In fact, this "beak" can make up almost 20% of its total body length. This fish is often found in the Gulf of Mexico and will have a bit of red on its tail. It is used to catch all kinds of saltwater game fish including Mahi Mahi, Marlins, Sailfish, Mackerel, Tarpon and many others.

Ballyhoo are small, only reaching about 16" in maximum length. They have short pectoral fins and un-scaled anal and dorsal fins. If you are thinking of trying to catch a few for bait you can normally find them in sandy bottoms right around the surface. You can learn how to rig a Ballyhoo in the video below...

When the Ballyhoo spawn they release a substance that allows their eggs to stick to floating debris. This helps them spread their species to different locations. If you have additionally information about the Ballyhoo fish that you would like to share please do!

Celebes Half Beak (Nomorphamphus liemi)

The Celebes Half Beak fish or Nomorphamphus liemi is a freshwater fish that is often kept in an aquarium setting. Although it is not considered too easy to care for, in the right setting this fish can flourish.

This fish requires a tank with plenty of plants, rocks and other places to hide. The Celebes Half Beak fish is a fish that swims in a school so purchasing a few is recommended. Make sure you have a tight lid on your tank as these fish have a tendency to jump.

Water temperature of 75-79° F and a PH level of 6.8-7.5 is acceptable. These fish are carnivores that should be fed live and frozen meaty food such as bloodworms and tubiflex. The occasional flake food is acceptable as well. Check them out in action in this video...






These fish can grow to about 3.5 inches in maximum length. As you can tell from the pictures these fish get their name from their strange mouths which almost resemble a beak! This immovable jaw curls around so the tip of the beak faces the rear of the fish. Males of these species tend to be slimmer and smaller with more colors then the females. In the wild these fish are found in shallow fast flowing streams.

If you have any more information about the Celebes Half Beak that you would like to share please do so in the comments below.

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