Genus: Bagre, Gafftopsail Sea Catfish, Gafftopsail Sea Catfishes

BAGRE

GAFFTOPSAIL SEA CATFISHES

Head arched, little depressed; snout rounded as viewed from above; bony head shield with smooth surface, obscured by skin, its rear process narrow, tapering to rear, meeting a crescent shaped plate at base of dorsal fin spine; 2 pairs of close-set nostrils; no fleshy furrow between rear nostrils; 2 pairs of barbels (on chin and top jaws), top pair with long flat filaments; gill opening wide, membranes not adhering to breast; teeth on roof of mouth in 2 pairs of patches that form a narrow tranverse arc; spines of pectoral fin (and sometimes dorsal fin) with long flat filaments; second dorsal adipose fin well developed; tail fin deeply forked; tail fin deeply forked; a complete lateral line, with branches to top and bottom base of tail fin, no scales.

A new world tropical to temperate genus with 4 species; with 2 west Atlantic species in the Greater Caribbean.