Family: PEMPHERIDAE, Sweeper, Sweepers

FAMILY PEMPHERIDAE

SWEEPERS

Small; body oblong, deep, highly compressed; upper profile ~horizontal; chest with a keel before pelvic fins; eye large (1/3 of head length; snout very short; mouth moderate, strongly oblique, opening upwards; teeth small; gill rakers long and numerous; dorsal fin short based, IV-VI weak spines, 8-10 rays, its origin before anal fin origin; anal fin with long base, III (1st very short), 22-36 rays; tail fin forked; pectoral long and pointed, 15-18; most scales rough, smooth on flank; anal fin with a scaly sheath, scales extend well onto tail fin; lateral line complete, arched high along back, extends almost to tips of central tail rays; 48-61 pored scales to tail fin base.

A W Atlantic, Indo-W Pacific family with 2 genera and 25 species; 2 species in 1 genus in our area, 1 endemic, 1 W Atlantic.