halfbeak, any of about 70 species of marine and freshwater fishes of the family Hemiramphidae (order Atheriniformes). Halfbeaks are named for their unusual jaws: the upper is short and triangular, and the lower is long, slim, and beaklike. The fish are silvery, slender, and up to about 45 cm (18 inches) long. They can skip across the water to escape from danger, and some are able to make short gliding flights like the related flying fish. Most halfbeaks are egg layers; others bear live young.