Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Bembrops anatirostris, Duckbill flathead, Longnose duckbill

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

flank: 2 rows brown spots; edge A black
D1: front 2 membranes black, 2nd spine filamentous in male
D2 outer 1/2 dark, all rays pigmented
D2 15
C grey
A outer 1/2+ black, base - male grey, female clear
top jaw tentacle: long, thin
LL 62-64

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.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom only
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bathydemersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Extends South of GC
  • All species..
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 35
Depth Range Min
  • 82
Depth Range Max
  • 1170