Family: BERYCIDAE, Alfonsino, Alfonsinos
v large eye
side-pointing spine under nostril
FAMILY BERYCIDAE
ALFONSINOS
Body oval, compressed; head large; eye very large, much wider than snout length; top of head with large sensory canals covered by thin skin, separated by thin ridges; a conspicuous sideways projecting spine on bone just under nostrils and in front of eye; mouth large, oblique, not reaching under rear edge of eye, top jaw expanded at rear; teeth small, simple; preopercle edge without spines; 1 dorsal fin, III-V (front low), 12-20; anal fin III-IV, 25-30; pelvic I, 9-13; tail fin deeply forked; scales spiny; cheeks and opercle covered by scales; lateral line 61-82 pored scales, the last few on the tail fin.
The family of deepwater fishes contains 2 genera with 9-10 species, worldwide in temperate to tropical waters except the eastern Pacific. One Atlantic and Indo-west Pacific genus with 2 species in our area, 1 entering shallow water.
PREPARED BY D ROSS ROBERTSON, AFTER MOORE (2002)
