Genus: Liopropoma, Basslets

LIOPROPOMA

BASSLETS

Body moderately elongate and compressed; head pointed, with nearly horizontal upper profile; eye moderate to large; front nostril tubular, near top lip; mouth moderately large, slightly oblique, lower jaw projecting; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it, lower rear corner of top jaw bone with prominent, bluntly pointed, ventral projection; rear edge of preopercle usually serrated; operculum with 3 broad flat spines at rear; dorsal fin with VIII spines, 12-13 rays, in two parts, or strongly notched if not, 3rd spine longest; tail base deep, strongly compressed; tail fin rounded to slightly forked; scales small, rough.

A pantropical genus, except for eastern Atlantic, with 27 species, with two endemic to the tropical eastern Pacific, one of which is found in shallow water.