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Genus: Cubiceps, Cigarfish Driftfish, Fatheads


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elongate, soft, flexible
top head: scaled onto snout
origin D behind pectoral base
tongue with teeth
pectorals = long wings
origin pelvic under/behind pectoral base
A II-III, 14-25

CUBICEPS

FATHEADS

Body elongate, soft, flexible; eye large, with a fatty ring around it; mouth small, usually ends before eye; teeth minute conical, ~1 row on jaws; teeth on front and sides of roof of mouth, base of gill arches, and on tongue; 2 dorsal fins, 1st with origin behind, or, in small specimens, directly over pectoral origin; anal fin II-III, 14-25; pectoral fins long and wing-like, with oblique bases; pelvic fins insert below or behind pectoral base; branched mucous canal along flank; scales along top of head, and snout almost to nostils.

A circumglobal genus in tropical to temperate waters; with about 11 species, 3 species in our region, 2 circumglobal and 1 Atlantic.