Species: Bembrops anatirostris, Duckbill Flathead, Longnose Duckbill

Bembrops anatirostris Ginsburg, 1955

Duckbill Flathead, Longnose Duckbill

Head depressed; snout long (>eye); eye large, above, close-set; lower jaw strongly projecting, often with lower teeth exposed; rear of top jawbone with a long, thin rear tentacle (5.1 (3.3-7.1)% SL); jaw teeth simple; teeth present on center and sides of roof of mouth; gill rakers 20 (18-22); 2 diverging spines at top of operculum, a 3rd at lower corner, with an elongate flap behind it, preoperculum with 2 broad spines at its angle; two dorsal fins, VI (front spines crowded), 2nd spine filamentous in male + 15 (rarely 14); anal fin 0, 18 (17-19); pectoral fin long and wide, 27 (25-29) rays; pelvic fins I, 5, under operculum, wide between those fins; tail fin straight, with 10-11 branched rays; scales rough on head and body; lateral line arched at front; a spine at front of lateral line, a prominent keel on first few lateral line scales; lateral line 62-64 (58-69) scales; scales absent from top surface of eye.

Grey- green above, white below, breast silver; 2 alternating rows of 10 irregular dark grey-brown spots along flank, upper body with scattered yellowish spots; 1st dorsal with 1st 2 membranes black & filamentous spine of male black), rest of fin clear; 2nd dorsal outer ½ dark, inner ½ clear; outer ½-2/3 of anal fin black, inner ½ clear in female, dusky in male; tail grey; pectoral rays dusky, dark blotch on base rays 2-3; pelvics dusky on rear ½.

Reaches 35 cm.

On the bottom.

Depth range: 82-1170 m, usually well below 100 m.

E Florida to Suriname.