Species: Emmelichthys ruber, Island Rover, Red Rover

Emmelichthys ruber (Trunov, 1976)

Red Rover, Island Rover

Body elongate, spindle shaped, depth 19-22% SL, compressed; head large, pointed, length 25-27% SL; mouth highly protrusible; rear bone of top jaw expanded, scaled, exposed when mouth is closed; top jaws toothless, bottom with a few minute conical teeth at front; rear edge of opercle with 2-3 flat points; lower corner of preopercle rounded, projecting a little to rear as a thin plate; preopercle smooth to weakly serrated; gill rakers long, 8-12 + 24-27; dorsal fin divided, with distinct gap between the two parts, VII-IX spines connected by membrane, then III-V short, isolated or buried spines + I, 10; anal fin III, 9; pectoral fin pointed, 19-20; pelvics I, 5; tail base without a fleshy crest or keel; tail fin strongly forked; head and body covered with finely rough scales; soft dorsal and anal fins with a scaly sheath at the base, which covers most of last 2-3 rays; tail fin heavily scaled on its base; lateral line with 71-74 tubed scales.

Red above, silvery below; jaws and lower head silvery white; iris orange yellow; fins pink; tail fin red.

Reaches 30 cm.

Pelagic between: 100-200 m; juveniles up to surface.

Trans-Atlantic; Bermuda to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.