Species: Pteraclis carolinus, Atlantic fanfish, Carolina Fanfish Pomfret

Pteraclis carolinus Valenciennes, 1833

The fanfish

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.