Family: BRAMIDAE, Pomfrets

FAMILY BRAMIDAE

POMFRETS

Pomfrets are oceanic fishes of medium to large size (to 1 m) that have deep compressed bodies which are high at the front and taper to a slender tail base; large eyes; large, oblique mouths with heavy jaws, the rear of the top jaw wide, exposed and covered with scales; the single dorsal and anal fins have long bases, similar shapes and sizes, I-III spines; long pointed pectoral fins; strongly concave to forked tail fins; large, often spiny or keeled scales cover body, head and extend onto the median fins; usually black.

This circumglobal family has 8 genera with 21 species; there are three genera with four species in the eastern Pacific; three of which sometimes occur in inshore water.