Species: Bembrops raneyi, Bahama Duckbill, Bahama Flathead

Bembrops raneyi Thompson & Suttkus, 1998

Bahama Duckbill, Bahama Flathead

Body relatively robust; head depressed, very broad (width 150% depth); snout short (~eye); eye large, above, close-set; lower jaw strongly projecting, often with lower teeth exposed; top jawbone with a long (4.1 (3.1-5,9)% SL) triangular rear tentacle; jaw teeth simple; teeth present on center and sides of roof of mouth; gill rakers 19 (17-20); 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 + 16 (15-17); 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 59 (56-62) scales; scales absent on top surface of eye.

Body pale, with 4 wide dark saddles on upper back between dorsal fin origin & end of tail base ; 1st dorsal fin with a black submariginal stripe across 1st 2 membranes, & a black oval blotch covering bases of 1st 4 membranes; 2nd dorsal fin with black on bases of membranes 1-5 & 10-12, & a black outer stripe; tail fin with a black blotch on upper base, extending onto body, lower & rear margins black, rear ½ of top margin black, center of fin dusky; anal fin clear; pectoral rays dusky except lower 4-5 rays clear; pelvics pale.

Reaches 20 cm.

On the bottom.

Depth range: 284-759 m.

The Bahamas to Cuba.