Genus: Belonesox, Pike killifish, Pike Killifishes

BELONESOX

PIKE KILLIFISHES

Head and body cylindrical, moderately slender, compressed at rear; front nostril not tubular; covering of eye not continuous with skin of head; jaws greatly enlarged and extended in a long pointed beak, mouth slightly oblique, not reaching eye, lower jaw projecting, top jaw protractile; teeth are canines, outer series conical, curved backwards and smaller than inner series; 1 dorsal fin with short base, at rear of body; anal fin origin distinctly before dorsal fin origin; pelvic origin well behind pectoral base, near anal fin; pectorals high on flank; 3rd anal ray unbranched; anal fin modified in male to form an elongate sex organ; tail fin bluntly straight to rounded; scales smooth and small.

This central American genus contains a single species, which is restricted to our area.