Genus: Paroncheilus, Cardinalfish-bigtooth, Bigtooth Cardinalfish
lower jaw strongly projects
PARONCHEILUS
BIGTOOTH CARDINALFISH
Body oblong, compressed; head large, snout short; eye large; moderately large oblique mouth that opens at the front; top jaw wide, partly concealed when mouth is closed, scaleless; lower jaw strongly projecting; both jaws with a row of small teeth interspersed with several canines, front of roof of mouth with several short canines, sides of roof of mouth with a band of small teeth; preopercle serrated, lower membranous flap not extending beyond edge of preoperculum; 14-15 lower gill rakers; dorsal fin VI+I, 9; anal fin II, 9; pectoral 12 (rarely 13); inner pelvic ray mostly not attached to body; tail fin usually concave; body scales smooth to weakly rough; scales present on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line with ~24 pored scales, the last few on the tail fin; lateral line scales not larger than body scales; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin. Mouthbrooding done by both sexes rather than just males.
An Atlantic genus with one species, present in the Greater Caribbean.
