Genus: Scombrops, Gnomefish, Scombrops

SCOMBROPS

SCOMBROPS

Body oblong, somewhat compressed; eye large; mouth large, ends ~under mid-eye, top jaw not protrusible; a large extra bone above rear of top jaw, rear bone of top jaw expanded at rear & largely exposed when mouth is closed; teeth large, somewhat compressed canines, well separated; sides of roof of mouth with 1-2 rows of canines, center with a patch of smaller teeth; preopercle edge smooth; rear of opercle with 2 flat points; gill membranes separate, free from underside of head; dorsal fins high, VIII-X weak spines + I, 14, a distinct gap between the 2 sections; anal fin III weak spines, 11-14 rays; tail fin forked; pectorals short, about half head length; scales smooth, easily shed; scales on to jaw and cheeks; basal half of soft dorsal and anal fins scaled; lateral line continuous, 45-50 tubed scales, +3-5 on tail fin.

A genus with 3 species, 2 in the Indo-west Pacific, 1 west Atlantic.