Hemiramphidae

Hemiramphidae, or Halfbeaks, belong to the order Beloniformes. The family Hemiramphidae is divided into two sub-families, the primarily marine Hemiramphinae and the freshwater or estuarine Zenarchopterinae. The Halfbeaks are named for their distinctive jaws, in which the lower jaws are significantly longer than the upper jaws. The Halfbeaks are remarkable for showing an exceptionally wide range of reproductive modes. These include egg-laying, ovoviviparity, and true vivipary where the mother is connected to the developing embryos via a placenta-like structure. There are 121 known species in this family.