Species: Selene vomer, Lookdown, Atlantic Look Down, Lookdown Moonfish

Selene vomer (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lookdown, Atlantic Look Down, Lookdown Moonfish

Body short, very deep in adults, depth at 2nd dorsal origin 46-52% of fork length extremely compressed; upper and lower profiles similar; head profile very steep and straight, angular at top, steeply sloping to mouth at bottom profile, lower jaw protruding; gill rakers 31-35; dorsal fin VIII (1st 4 spines elongate in juveniles, with 2nd spine = 2.5X fork length) + I, 20-23, front lobe very long in juvenile, ~ ½ fork length in adults; anal fin II (in juveniles only) + I, 17-20, front lobe elongated; pelvic fins very small; no finlets after 2nd dorsal and anal fins; pectoral long, curved; tail base slender; tail strongly forked; straight part of lateral line with poorly developed, small scutes (hard spiny scales); scales very small, imbedded in skin, body appears scaleless.

Silvery, back with bluey tint; small juveniles with elongate pelvic and dorsal spines black, a dark bar through eye, 4-5 broken bars on body.

Reaches 48.3 cm; all tackle world record 2.1 kg.

Marine, demersal, on shallow sandy and hard bottoms; juveniles in estuaries and off sandy beaches.

Depth range: 1-90 m.

Maine to Uruguay.