Family: ALBULIDAE, Bonefishes

FAMILY ALBULIDAE

BONEFISHES

Bonefishes are small to medium sized (to 80 cm), with elongate, fusiform, slightly compressed bodies; head conical, snout overhanging mouth; mouth small, not reaching past eye; very small teeth in bands at front of jaws, patches of small molariform teeth on the roof and floor of the mouth; fins without spines; one short dorsal fin, (16-21 rays), at midbody; pectoral fins low on the body; pelvic fins, under the abdomen, well behind pectorals, under rear half of dorsal base; anal short (7-9 rays), well behind dorsal; tail fin deeply forked; scales small, smooth; lateral line straight, full length of body.

The family contains two genera with 8 species. There are three species in one genus in the western Atlantic: one (undescribed) west Atlantic, 1 NW Atlantic, and 1 W Atlantic.