Species: Laemonema barbatulum, Shortbeard Codling, Smallscale Mora

Laemonema barbatulum Goode & Bean, 1883

Shortbeard Codling, Smallscale Mora

Body tapering to a very narrow tail base; no V shaped ridge on top of head; snout rounded; eye large, ~1/4-1/3 of head length; gill openings wide, extending above pectoral fins; mouth large, extends to under center of eye or further back, overhung by snout; a short barbel under chin; few on no teeth on front of roof of mouth; fins usually without spines; 2 dorsal fins, 1st short based and triangular, with elongate front spine, second long based, total rays 6-7 + 57-63; 1 long based anal fin that is not greatly indented, 54-63 rays; pectoral fin 19-23; pelvic fins under end of opercle, bases well separated, 2 elongate rays that don't reach anus + 2-3 short rays under skin; tail fin separate from dorsal and anal fins, small, rounded, symmetrical; scales round, overlapping, not set at right angles; lateral line complete.

Brownish; outer edges of second dorsal, tail and anal fins black; 1st dorsal with an elongate black spine at front; no triangular black blotches on 2nd dorsal and anal fins; no black pits on belly.

Reaches 40 cm.

On and above the bottom of the continental slope.

Depth range: 50-1620 m, usually at 300-400 m.

The tropical and temperate Atlantic; Nova Scotia to N Brazil.