Species: Halieutichthys caribbaeus, Caribbean batfish

Halieutichthys caribbaeus Garman, 1896

Caribbean batfish

Head and body very depressed, greatly expanded to form a circular disc; tail moderately long; mouth very small; cavity on snout for lure very small, blocked by puffy folds of membrane; lure a single central bulb; a cover over pupils; buckler at angle of operculum not larger than adjacent bucklers; gill openings small, behind upper base of pectoral fin; gill rakers in form of tiny pads of teeth set on low stalks; dorsal and anal fins small, at rear of body; base of pectoral fins broadly attached to tail base; pelvic fins not reduced in size; lateral line complete, plus a pair of lateral line organs on base of tail behind anus, no tubercles associated with lateral line; scales are large, irregular, pitted tubercles, no or few tubercles on tail base;  adults with no scales under body and large areas of top of body without scales.