Species: Chlorophthalmus agassizi, Shortnose Greeneye

Chlorophthalmus agassizi Bonaparte, 1840

Shortnose Greeneye

Body slender, ~oval in cross-section, depth 12.6-18.8% of SL; head 27-33.5% of SL; snout pointed, relatively short (< 77% orbit length), 8.4-10% of SL, somewhat depressed, pointed; eye large, pupil teardrop shaped, a pointed space before it; mouth oblique, opens above, lower jaw protruding, but not ending in a projecting horizontal, triangular plate, tip viewed from above rounded or concave; top jaw bone slightly expanded at rear, reaches just behind front of eye, with an extra small bone above the expanded part; teeth on jaws small, in bands; tongue with minute tooth-like denticles; center of roof of mouth without a pair of large fangs; teeth on sides of roof of mouth minute, restricted to front of bone; lower gill rakers 19-22; fins without spines; dorsal fin 10-11, in front 1/3 of body, its origin before pelvic fin origin, a small skin-flap (adipose) 2nd dorsal fin at rear of body over center of anal fin; anal fin 8 (7-8); pectorals on midflank, inserted before origins of dorsal and anal fins, relatively long (25-28.5% SL), 15-17 rays; anus near pelvic fins, separated by only 2-3 scales from base of pelvic fins; tail fin forked, upper and lower lobes ~equal length; lateral line complete; scales smooth; lateral scales 50-55; scales before dorsal fin 12 (11-13).

Yellowish to light brown; eyes green; body with a row of dark saddles and another of oblique dark blotches along side; base of tail and pelvic fins black; a black stripe along top of back; anus and gill cavity black.

Reaches 23 cm.

Benthic on mud bottoms.

Depth range: 50-1000 m.

Both sides of the Atlantic & the Mediterranean; Cape Cod to Suriname.