Description:

Dorsal spines: 0; Dorsal rays: 12-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal rays: 10-12.

Elongate fish with greatly prolonged, beak-like lower jaw. Upper jaw short, triangular and scaleless. Dorsal and anal fins located posteriorly. Dorsal fin with well-developed anterior lobe. Pectoral fins short. Caudal fin deeply forked with lower lobe longer than upper lobe.

Colour. Dark bluish dorsally, silvery on flanks and ventrally. 3-9, usually 4-6, black bars on flanks. Beak dark with bright orange red fleshy tip and underside. Dorsal fin and upper caudal lobe yellowish. Lower caudal lobe grey. Dark posterior margin to caudal fin. 

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 45cm TL. Commonly to 30cm TL.

Inhabits coastal waters chiefly in areas of rich submerged vegetation. Adults feed mainly on sea grasses, to a lesser extent on green algae and diatoms. Forms schools.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the net fisheries, but is an uncommon component of the catch.

Collette, B.B. & J. Su, (1986). The halfbeaks (Pisces, Beloniformes, Hemiramphidae) of the Far East. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 138(1):250-301.
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hemiramphus-far (27/07/19).

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Hemiramphus far, Black-barred halfbeak. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/hemiramphus-far-forsskal-1775/ (Edited 07/05/22).