Halfbeaks are omnivorous, feeding on floating sea grasses, crustaceans and small fishes. They live at the surface and are protectively coloured green or blue on the back and silvery white on the sides and ventrally. They are prone to leap and skitter at the surface. Some of these species can leap out of the water and glide like a flying fish.
There are 11 genera and about 121 species worldwide. Malaysia has about 16 species.