Species: Ariomma melana, Brown Driftfish

Ariomma melana (Ginsburg, 1954)

Brown Driftfish

Body slender (depth 24-25% SL); rounded; head long; snout short and blunt; eye moderately large (</= snout), covered with a fatty-tissue lid that extends to nostrils; mouth small, ends before eye, upper jaw almost completely covered by suborbital bone under eye; teeth tiny, conical, in a single row on jaws, lower teeth often with secondary points; no teeth on roof of mouth or on bases of gill arches; gill rakers slender, 9-11 + 18-20; operculum thin, with smooth edge; 2 dorsal fins that are almost not separated; first dorsal with XI long, slender spines that fold into a groove, second dorsal low, 14-15 rays; anal fin similar to second dorsal, 14-15 rays; pelvics inserted under or behind pectoral base, fold into a broad groove along belly midline; tail base short and slender, square in cross-section, with 2 low fleshy keels on base of tail fin; tail fin stiff and modearately forked; lateral line high along back, an extension forwards over eye; scales smooth, very thin and easily shed, 50-65 on lateral line, at least 3 rows between dorsal fin and lateral line; scales on head extend forward to front of eye.

Uniform brown to bluish brown, no spots; young with 3-6 dark bars on side; lining of gut cavity dark brown to black.

Reaches 25 cm.

Demersal to benthopelagic over muddy bottoms on outer continental shelf.

Depth range: 140-750 m, juveniles near surface, adults below 140 m.

E and W Atlantic; New York to Brazil.