Genus: Pronotogrammus, Threadfin Bass Grouper, Threadfin Basses

PRONOTOGRAMMUS

THREADFIN BASSES

Body elongate, oblong, strongly compressed; head short, strongly compressed; eye moderate to large; mouth moderately to strongly oblique, lower jaw projecting, rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; oval patch of granular teeth on tongue; tooth patch on center of roof of mouth elongate at rear; preoperculum with rear margin serrated, lower margin with or without serrations; 36-43 gill rakers; dorsal fin with X-XI spines, 1st two short, remainder longer & about same length, 13-16; pectorals 16-18; pelvic inserted slightly before base of pectoral; tail forked; scales rough (teeth only on margins), moderate sized, 35-57 on lateral line, 2-3 rows of large scales between 5th dorsal spine and lateral line; scales around tail base 18-28; head and jaws fully scaled.

A neotropical genus, with two species, the single W Atlantic species occurs in the Greater Caribbean.