Species: Pteraclis carolinum, Carolina Fanfish, Carolina Fanfish Pomfret, Reyedsnout Fanfish

Pteraclis carolinum Valenciennes, 1833

Reyedsnout Fanfish, Carolina Fanfish, Carolina Fanfish Pomfret

Head and body compressed, an elongate oval tapering to slender tail base; forehead profile convex; snout short, bluntly rounded; eyes large; between eyes rounded; rear nostril a slit; mouth at front, strongly oblique, the rear of the top jaw wide, exposed and covered with scales; lower edges of bottom jawbone not touching along midline under head; 8 branchiostegal rays; the single dorsal and anal fins have long bases, similar shapes and sizes; dorsal fin origin on snout; not preceded by scales across the dorsal profile; dorsal and anal fins broadly expanded and sail-like, flexible, completely depressible, when depressed lie in a sheath formed by elongate scales inserted along base of fin, that sheath extending forward onto snout; one front ray of dorsal and anal fins thickened; dorsal fin 48-54; anal fin 42-47; pectoral fin 18-19; tail base without transverse groove; tail fin forked, stiff; scales with small spines; scales at center of end of tail base distinctly larger than those on center of tail fin base.

Body bronzy grey; fins blackish

Reaches 35 cm.

Pelagic, oceanic.

Depth range: 0-400 m.

Both sides of the tropical Atlantic; Bermuda to Brazil.