Genus: Assurger, Razorback Scabbardfish, Scabbardfish

ASSURGER

SCABBARDFISH

Body very elongate (depth ~4% of length), highly compressed; head pointed, 1/8 of TL, top profile straight to slightly convex, with a strong crest along top between eyes and on nape; snout pointed, 40% of head length; eye moderate in size, on side of head; tips of both jaws with a short skin process; lower jaw projecting; lower jaw with 3 pairs of fangs at front, a small pair in center; gill rakers are 13-14 spines with large basal plates; dorsal fin with 116-123 elements, with a few ray-like spines at front, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin with 1st spine rudimentary, 2nd spine scale-like, total 74-87 elements, with only 14-17 external soft rays at rear of fin; pectorals 12, triangular, upper rays shorter; pelvic fins of I scale-like spine and 1 tiny soft ray; tail fin small, forked; lateral line straight.

A genus with a single species, in all three oceans.