Species: Lepophidium inca, Incan cusk-eel

Lepophidium inca Robins & Lea, 1978

Incan cusk-eel

Elongate, eel-like; head low, compressed; tail compressed, tapering to a point; snout with strong spine that does not reach tip of top jaw; eye diameter ~ 20% of head length; mouth large, broad, nearly horizontal, top jaw ends behind eye; teeth on jaws small, simple, in bands; no tooth patch on base of gill arches;  gill rakers: 3 (3-4) rudiments above, 4-5 developed rakers below + 2-3 (1-5) rudiments, total 9-13; a small concealed spine at edge of operculum; dorsal and anal fins low, joined to tail; dorsal fin origin before middle of pectoral fin; dorsal 133-141 rays; anal fin 112-121 rays; pectoral long, reaching over ½ way to anal fin, on mid-side 21 (19-22); each pelvic is a pair of small threads inserted under eye; scales round, small, in regular rows, on head extending to between or before eyes, on cheeks and opercle; ~ 250 lateral scales.