Species: Lepidopus altifrons, Crested Scabbardfish

Lepidopus altifrons Parin & Collette, 1993

Crested Scabbardfish

Body elongate and compressed; head length 15.4-16.5 % SL; upper head profile almost straight from tip of snout to dorsal-fin origin; forehead with a pair of crests converging before middle of eyes; longitudinal crest along top of head prominent, from before eyes along nape; lower jaw projecting; lower rear edge of gill cover convex; eyes fairly large, not situated very near head profile; interorbital space strongly convex; tips of both jaws usually with a short skin knob; jaws with front fangs (3 – 6 pairs above, 1 pair below) and smaller side teeth (15-20 above, 15-21 below); a few teeth on each side of roof of mouth; gill rakers 17-18; dorsal fin with VII- X weak spines similar to soft rays, total elements 90-96, no notch between spines & rays; anal fin II (1st rudimentary, 2nd moderate to strong), 52-58; pectorals 12, ~triangular, anterior rays shorter than posterior rays; pelvic fins with I small scale-like spine, 1-2 tiny soft rays, inserted ½ eye diameter behind end of pectoral-fin; small forked tail fin present; lateral line slowly descends from above gill opening to mid-side.

Silvery to brown, darker along lateral line; inside gill chamber black.

Reaches 68 cm

Benthopelagic

Depth range 100-508 m.

Nova Scotia to Brazil.