Halfbeak Advice

[SiFighter]

Hi hobbyists,

I've been dotting around this forum and i love it, helpful, friendly and entertaining. Big fan. I made the mistake of an impulse buy while in my LFS and, possibly mistakenly again, took advice from the LFS assistant without any research first. I know, i know, schoolboy error. Anyway I've got a single specimen of halfbeak. After reading all the literature i can find (including the one on this site, nice one nmonk) i am no closer to an ID and i have conflicting behaviours (keep singly, keep small group, predator, omnivore, community fish, species tank only, etc). I will try desperately to get a photo on here to help you aquatic geniuses ID the little #29### for me. The best description i can give you is short beak, approx 1 inch long, pike like arrangement of fins (makes me think predator), slight rouge tinge to the fins, stays high in the water column (friendly with my butterflies) takes flake, tubiflex and frozen meaty foods.
Any advice on anything I've written would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance

 

[nmonks]

You should be able to identify a halfbeak to genus level at least as outlined on my web site, here:

http/homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/Halfbeaks/halfbeaks.html

The ones with short beaks are normally Nomorhamphus, several of which have red in their fins. The "red-fin halfbeak" of the hobby is usually described as Nomorhamphus ebrardtii. But who knows if that's really the case. In any event, 2.5 cm/1 inch would be TINY for this species. Their fry aren't much smaller!

There are some tiny Hemirhamphodon only 3 cm or so when fully grown, but these have relatively long beaks compared to Nomorhamphus.

Cheers, Neale

 

[ian]

great page there Neale, bookmarked.

 

[SiFighter]

Nomorhamphus towoetii from the look of things Neale. Cracking site by the way, love your work mate. Many thanks

 

[nmonks]

Thanks for the kind words, chaps!

SiFighter -- do look forward to seeing a photo!

Cheers, Neale