Genus: Myripristis, Blackbar Soldierfish, Soldierfishes

MYRIPRISTIS

SOLDIERFISHES

Body ovate, deep; mouth moderately large, oblique; snout blunt, forehead convex; eye very large; no spine at corner of preopercle, which has a concave edge; opercle with one short spine, inner ridge of opercle and other head bones serrated; dorsal fin with XI spines, continuous but deeply notched between last 2 spines; anal with IV spines, 3rd spine stoutest, it or 4th longest, 12-13 rays; pelvics I, 7; tail forked; scales large, very rough.

A pantropical genus containing 27 species. One trans-Atlantic species occurs in our area.