Species: Brama caribbea, Caribbean Pomfret

Brama caribbea Mead, 1972

Caribbean Pomfret

Head and body compressed, a deep oval tapering to slender tail base; body relatively deep (depth 51-58% of SL); head profile convex; snout short, bluntly rounded; mouth strongly oblique, lower jaw projecting, the rear of the top jaw wide, exposed and covered with scales; between eyes strongly rounded; 12-14 gill rakers; the single dorsal and anal fins have long bases, similar shapes and sizes, I-III spines; dorsal originates over pectoral, low, with a low lobe at front, 32-35 (usually 34) rays; anal low, with almost no lobe at front, 29-32 (usually 31) rays; pectoral long, reaches nearly to middle of anal fin, fin set fairly low on body (its origin above end of mouth), its base nearly horizontal, 19-21 (usually 20) rays; pelvics small (<25% SL), inserted relatively high on flank under rear of pectoral base; tail base, without transverse groove before tail fin; tail deeply concave, lobes with long points, that of top lobe longest; scales small, cover body, nape, cheeks, operculum, and top jaw; dorsal & anal fins scaly; scales on tail base and tail fin intergrade smoothly in size; no keel of scales along belly; ~51 lateral scales.

Brownish black; membranes of dorsal and anal fin black; tail dark, center lighter; pectorals and pelvics colorless; inside mouth black.

Size: 25 cm.

Habitat: oceanic pelagic.

Depth: 0-800 m.

W Atlantic and possibly E Atlantic; North Carolina to Brazil.