Family: TRICHIURIDAE, Cutlassfish, Cutlassfishes, Hairtails
v elongate, compressed, ribbon-like
D & A: low, v long bases
mouth large, lower jaw protrudes
strong teeth
strong teeth
pelvics tiny (I, 1) or absent
C: very small
FAMILY TRICHIURIDAE
CUTLASSFISHES, HAIRTAILS
Cutlass-fishes are large fishes (1-2 m) with thin ribbon-like bodies; 1 pair of nostrils; a large mouth with protruding lower jaw, with large fangs; dorsal and anal fins are extremely long-based and low, the anal sometimes reduced to a series of small projecting spines; pectoral fins 12, small, on mid to lower side; pelvic fins absent or represented by I tiny spine plus 0-1 tiny rays; tail fin small and forked, or absent; lateral line complete; no scales.
The family contains 32 species in nine genera; one circumtropical species occurs in our region.
PREPARED BY D ROSS ROBERTSON, AFTER PARIN & NAKAMURA (2002)
