9 
Body very slender, cylindrical or little compressed. Head 
long. Both jaws extended as beak, lower somewhat longer, much longer in 
young and very young often resemble hemiramphids. Each jaw with band 
of small, sharp teeth, besides series of longer, wide set, sharp, conic, 
unequal teeth. No teeth on vomer or palatines. Sill openings wide. 
Sill rakers absent. Bones usually greenish. Scales small to very small, 
thin. Lateral line inferior, runs along lower side of belly, sometimes 
forming elevated keel on caudal peduncle. No finlets. Dorsal fin mostly 
elevated in front, somewhat or even considerably behind anal, all rays 
of both fins connected by membranes. Caudal short, unequally lunated 
or forked, truncate or rounded. Pectorals moderate. Ventrals small, 
latter inserted behind middle of body. 
* 
Rather large voracious fishes, largest reaching a meter and a 
half in length, inmost all tropical seas, a few entering rivers. In 
these gars the changes with age are marked, as in the young the greatly 
prolonged lower jaw is always longer, though less so with age. 
Herre says the larger species are much feared by fishermen, 
as when frightened they may skip along the surface of the water at terrific 
speed, hurtling through the air in great leaps and inflicting frightful 
injuries upon or even killing anyone unlucky enough to be in their way. 
They also damage small nets, through which they easily tear their way. 
