Genus: Alionematichthys, Brotula, Smalleye Brotula

ALIONEMATICHTHYS

BROTULA

Front nostril relatively high on snout, midway between top lip and rear nostril; rear end of top jaw expanded vertically; lower front gill arch with 1 short plate-like raker between 2 longer rakers, upper branch with 3 slightly elongate rakers; tip of sharp opercular spine exposed; preoperculum with 1 pore at top and 3 at lower rear corner; no central tooth patch at bottom of gill arches; dorsal fin 71-92; anal fin 55-72; tail fin not joined to dorsal and anal fins; body covered with small overlapping scales; head scaled only on cheeks, plus sometimes a patch above the opercular spine, rarely some below that spine; male sex organ equipped with 2 pairs of pseudoclaspers, outer pair flaplike, inner pair small.

This Indo-W Pacific and W Atlantic genus has 7 known species; 1 endemic in the Greater Caribbean.