Genus: Pseudupeneus, Goatfishes, Spotted Goatfish
mouth not reaching under eye
roof mouth - no teeth
roof mouth - no teeth
operculum: spine
pectoral 13-15
pectoral 13-15
LL 27-31
PSEUDUPENEUS
GOATFISHES
Body elongate, cylindrical, underside of head and body nearly flat; snout pointed; eye high on side of head; mouth small, at lower edge of head, protrusible, top jaw not reaching to under front of eye; relatively small villiform or conical teeth; no teeth on roof of mouth; chin with a pair of large, long barbells that fold into a central groove on throat; opercle with a spine; 2 well-separated dorsal fins, VIII + I, 8; pectoral rays 13-15; a forked tail; scales large, slightly rough, 27-31 on lateral line; 3 rows of scales between 2 dorsal fins.
A tropical genus of 4 species found in the east and West Atlantic and tropical eastern Pacific, with one W Atlantic species in the Greater Caribbean.
