Hawaiian Fishes 



91 



Aha-aha or Au-au 



49-4 Able fines hians (Valenciennes) 



Drawn from Jordan & Evermann 



This needle fish is dark greenish in color above and is silvery white 

 on the sides and lower surface. The body is flattened or compressed and 

 band-like and will reach a maximum length of forty inches. 



This fish is circumtropical in distribution. It is commonly sold in 

 Hawaiian Island markets. 



THE HALF-BEAKS OR HERBIVOROUS 

 BALAOS FAMILY 



50 Family Hemiramphidae 



The half-beaks are named for the fact that they have a long lower 

 jaw and a very short upper jaw. The bodies of these fishes are long, 

 slender and compressed. The caudal fin is forked, the lower fork being 

 longer than the upper. Curiously enough, the lower jaw is toothed only 

 at its base where it is opposite the upper jaw. The species are all small 

 and seldom exceed one foot in length. 



The half-beaks are semi-pelagic surface fishes. Many are shore dwelling 

 species while some are truly pelagic. A few have the habit of leaping 

 into the air. They are herbivorous fishes and live on green algae and 

 small crustaceans. They are distributed in the warm seas of the world. 



Of about 75 known species, six occur in the Hawaiian Islands. 



Ihe-ihe 



50-1 Euleptorhamphus viridis (Van Hassalt) 



The body of this half-beak is of a pale bluish-silvery color above 

 while the lower sides and belly are silvery. The beak is bluish-black 



