Species: Aluterus schoepfii, Orange filefish

Aluterus schoepfii (Walbaum, 1792)

Orange filefish

Body very compressed, elongate, oblong; a long pointed snout; upper profile of head concave, lower profile convex; eye well below upper head profile, not relatively near dorsal fin (distance 7.3-13.5% SL); a small, upturned mouth that opens above center line; teeth moderately strong, 6 in outer row on top jaw and 6 or less on outer row on bottom jaw; gill opening a short slit on side before pectoral base; 2 dorsal fins, 1st with II spines, 1st long, slender, smooth, over eye, erectile, can be locked in position by minute 2nd spine; second dorsal fin  32-39 rays; anal rays 35-41; pectoral rays modally 12-13; median fins rays unbranched; tail base relatively slender; tail fin relatively short; pelvic fins absent, no pelvic spine, no large scales encasing area where pelvics should be; scales minute, innumerable, skin like sand-paper, relatively rough; no patch of enlarged scales above pectoral base; lateral line inconspicuous.