Genus: Schedophilus, Blackfish Medusafish, Medusafishes

SCHEDOPHILUS

MEDUSAFISHES

Body moderately deep (depth > 35% of SL), compressed, musculature firm or soft; head broad, deep; blunt, thick snout; head covered with pores; large eye, with a poorly developed fatty ring around; mouth large, most of top jaw hidden under bone above it; roof of mouth toothless; jaws with 1 row of small conical teeth; opercle thin, with 2 flat spines; preopercle with 8-19 prominent spines; one continuous, long-based, low dorsal fin, III-VII weak spines gradually increase in size to rear, origin over/before pectoral base, 22-32 rays; anal fin origin under rear ½ of dorsal fin, III short weak spines, 15-30 rays; bases of dorsal & anal fins fleshy, translucent; pelvic fins small, under base of pectoral, connected to belly by membrane, can fold into groove on belly; tail forked; scales small, smooth, easily shed, covering bases of dorsal and anal; lateral line arched, straightens out over anal fin.

This genus contains about 9 species, and occurs in eastern and central Pacific, eastern Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean; two North Atlantic and East Atlantic species strays to our region.