Hyporhamphus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1847)

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 16; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 16

Greatly prolonged, beak-like lower jaw, equal to, or longer than head length; upper jaw short, triangular and scaly, its width 0.6-0.8 times in its length. Preorbital distance 1.3-2.1 times in diameter of orbit and 0.75-1.2 times in length of upper jaw. Total number of gill rakers on first gill arch 23-37. Anal fin rays 13-16; caudal fin emarginate, not strongly forked.

Range Description: Although Hyporhamphus limbatus was originally described from India, its range extends from the Persian Gulf to China along the mainland coast of Asia (Collette and Su 1986). In Asia, it is known from India, Sril Lanka, Myanmar, Thiland and China (Talwar and Jhingran 1991, Ramanujam and Anbarasan 2007, Ajith Kumar and Amarshinghe 2008) It is replaced in the East Indies, Borneo and Philippines by the closely related Hyporhamphus neglectus and around northern Australia and southern New Guinea by Hyporhamphus neglectissimus (Collette and Su 1986). In India the species in known from the coastal states and also from the strictly freshwater areas of Orissa (Collette and Su 1986) and Maharashtra (N. Dahanukar pers. obs.). Its distribution in the Mula-Mutha river, Bhima river, Ghad river and Ujani wetland (Surwade and Khillare 2010, N. Dahanukar pers. obs.) is likely a recent introduction of this species since 2008 as it was not found from these areas before 2008 (Yazdani and Singh 1990, Kharat et al. 2003). Countries - Native: Bangladesh; Cambodia; China; India (Andaman Is., Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Laccadive Is., Maharashtra, Orissa, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal); Malaysia; Myanmar; Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam