ballyhoo
Hemiramphus brasiliensis
Surface fish with a long lower jaw. Travels in schools and is one of the best trolling baits for sailfish, dorado and king mackerel.
Also called: agulha, farnangaio, agulha-preta, agulha-crioula, agulhinha
- common size
- 20–35 cm
- maximum
- 55 cm
- common weight
- 0.1–0.1 kg
- record/max.
- 0.2 kg
- depth
- 0–5 m
- ideal water
- 24–29 °C
who is the ballyhoo
The ballyhoo (agulha, or farnangaio) is a halfbeak of coastal waters that lives in schools near the surface, close to reefs, rocky shores and seagrass beds. Its lower jaw is much longer than the upper, like a beak. It eats seagrass and small fish. Artisanal fishing catches it with nets, especially in the Northeast, and it is eaten fried; across Brazil it is one of the most used baits in offshore trolling, whole and rigged with a hook, for marlin, sailfish, dorado and king mackerel. For recreational anglers, it can be caught with a small hook and a piece of shrimp at the surface, with chum.
fun facts
- Only the lower jaw forms the beak; the upper one is short.
- It is the classic trolling bait for marlin in offshore fishing.
identification
Elongated, rounded body, dark blue-green back and silver flanks. Long lower jaw forming a beak, with an orange-red tip; short, triangular upper jaw without scales. Upper lobe of the tail orange and lower lobe longer. Differs from the estuary halfbeaks (Hyporhamphus), which have scales on the upper jaw, and from the needlefishes (Belonidae), which have both jaws long.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
where found
From Amapá to Rio de Janeiro, most common in the Northeast.
Habitat: Surface of clear coastal waters, near reefs, rocky shores, beaches and seagrass beds.
coast
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro
when to fish
best season
In the Northeast it appears all year; farther south, in warm months.
best time of day
Daytime. Active by day at the surface; at night it is attracted to light.
what affects the ballyhoo
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water keeps it away from the coast.
atmospheric pressure
Not very sensitive.
moon
At night, light attracts schools, especially without a moon.
rain
Murky water gets in the way.
water level
Stays in clear water near the reefs.
noise
The school scatters at noise but comes back with chum.
wind
Choppy sea scatters the schools.
tide
The flood tide brings schools to the edges.
depth
Always at the surface.
how to fish
- rod
- cane pole or light rod 5'0" to 6'6"
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 1000 to 2000
- line
- monofilament 0.16 to 0.20 mm
- leader
- not needed
- hook
- maruseigo 12 to 16
natural baits
- shrimp in tiny pieces
- fish paste
accessories
- small float
- chum with bread and sardine
tip from an angler
Chum the surface and fish without sinker, with the bait floating; for trolling bait, keep it on ice without crushing the beak.
rules for the ballyhoo
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). We found no specific federal rule for this species.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Fragile; if you're not going to use it, release it right away.
in the kitchen
Fried whole, crispy; very popular in the Northeast.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00324, b = 3.08; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Hemiramphus brasiliensis (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Hemiramphus brasiliensis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Hemiramphus brasiliensis (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 21/08/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Hemiramphidae chapter (Collette, B. B.), cited by FishBase for the species.
- scientific Szpilman, M. (2000). Peixes marinhos do Brasil: guia prático de identificação. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Ecológico Aqualung. 288 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.