Species: Lonchopisthus higmani, Spotcheek Jawfish

Lonchopisthus higmani Mead, 1959

Spotcheek Jawfish

Elongate, compressed, tapering body; large bulbous head, eye large, high on side of head; mouth opens at front, large, extends to rear of eye; top jaw with rear end concave, a blunt notch on underside at rear; gill rakers 17-24+31-39; dorsal and anal fins with long bases; dorsal fin X-XI, 18 (17-19); anal fin III, 17 (14-18); pectoral 18-21; pelvic fins I, 5, outer 2 rays stout and unbranched, inner 3 rays weaker and branched, fin base before the pectoral, not elongated; tail fin much longer than head, sharply pointed, 0 (0-6) branched rays, no elongated free central fin rays; 47-56 longitudinal scale rows along body; cheeks scaled; lateral line on front half of body only, high.

Body grey-brown, paler below; several whitish bars at front of body, a series of scattered whitish blotches behind; all fins except pectoral dark; an oval black to dark grey, white ringed ocellus on operculum; inner membrane connecting top and bottom jaws black.

Reaches 19.7 cm.

Lives in burrows on muddy bottoms.

Depth range: 13-97 m, usually at 40-70 m.

The NW Caribbean to Suriname.