Species: Eques lanceolatus, Jackknife-fish, Jackknife Drum

Eques lanceolatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Jackknife-fish, Jackknife Drum

Body oblong, deep at front, tapering to a thin tail base; head low; snout overhangs horizontal mouth; teeth in villiform band, those in outer row of upper jaw slightly enlarged; chin with 5 pores, no barbels; snout with 10 pores; 14-18 short, stout gill rakers; preoperculum nearly smooth edged; top corner of gill opening notched; dorsal fin with long base, deep notch between spiny and soft parts, XII-XIV + I, 47-55, spiny part very high (longer than head); anal fin with short base, II (2nd strong), 6; pectoral rays 15-16; tail fin with blunt angular point; lower half of second dorsal fin covered with a thick scale sheath; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.

Body whitish, with 3 broad, white-edged black oblique bars, 1 through eye, 1 from nape to pelvic fin and 1 from the 1st dorsal that angles back to form a stripe that runs through the tail; fins pale, without spots. Small juveniles body white to yellowish, edges of black bars yellow, last body bar through dorsal to tail fin; a thin black line on tip of snout; pectoral fin clear.

Maximum size to 30 cm.

Inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms (where nocturnal feeding occurs) and coastal reefs.

Depth: 2-230 m.

South Carolina to Brazil.