Species: Bembrops magnisquamis, Largescale Duckbill, Largescale Flathead

Bembrops magnisquamis Ginsburg, 1955

Largescale Duckbill, Largescale Flathead

Body relatively robust; head depressed, very wide; snout short (=/>eye); eye large, above, close-set; lower jaw strongly projecting, often with lower teeth exposed; top jawbone with a relatively long (3.7 (1.7-4.9)% SL) rear tentacle; jaw teeth simple; teeth present on center and sides of roof of mouth; gill rakers 18-21; 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 not elongate in male + 15; anal fin 0, 17; pectoral fin long and wide, 22-24 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 44-47 scales; scales absent from top surface of eye.

1st dorsal fin with black membranes 1&2 & the inner ½ of membranes III-V, membrane VI and rest of fin whitish; midline of nape with a thin black line; 2nd dorsal fin with black base, slight outer black edge; tail fin with a dark bar on upper ½ of its base, a dark spot at midbase, a dark bar behind the top stripe; anal fin with blackish margin; pectoral fin with dark pigment on both side of its base; pelvics with rays 3-5 dark.

Reaches 12 cm.

On the bottom.

Depth range: 365-640 m.

The central Caribbean.