Species: Chaetodipterus faber, Atlantic spadefish

Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782)

Atlantic spadefish

Body a highly compressed disc; head short, snout very short, blunt; mouth small, opens at front; teeth small, brush like, in bands; dorsal fin continuous, IX, 21-23, spines well developed but low, third spine tallest, connected by membranes, separated by a deep notch from soft dorsal; anal fin III, 18-19; front of soft dorsal and anal elongate, pointed; pectoral fins short, 17-18; pelvic fins long, under pectorals; tail slightly concave; lateral line complete; scales cover body, head and most fins; lateral-line scales 45-50; juvenile with a peak at the 3rd dorsal spine; soft dorsal and anal with low round fronts; pelvics relatively long, filamentous.