Species: Aluterus scriptus, Scrawled leatherjacket, Scrawled filefish

Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765)

Scrawled filefish, Scrawled leatherjacket

Body a very compressed elongated oval a long pointed snout, upper and lower profiles strongly concave; a small mouth that opens above center line; teeth moderately strong, six in outer row on top jaw and six or less on outer row on bottom jaw; gill opening a short slit on side before pectoral base; 2 dorsal fins, 1st with II spines, 1st long, slender, smooth, over eye, erectile, can be locked in position by minute 2nd spine; second dorsal fin  43-49 rays; anal rays 46-52; pectoral rays modally 14 (13-15); median fins rays unbranched; tail base shorter than deep; tail fin longer than snout, 33-61% of SL, rounded, the back edge often ragged; pelvic fins absent, pelvic spine rudimentary or absent; no group of enlarged scales encasing area where pelvics should be;scales minute, innumerable, like hairs, skin rough, like sand-paper; no patch of enlarged scales above pectoral base; lateral line inconspicuous.