Genus: Ranzania, Ocean Sunfishes

RANZANIA

OCEAN SUNFISHES

Body an elongate oval (depth 25-48% of SL), strongly compressed; mouth small, funnel like, a vertical slit when closed, opens at the front, is a beak (without a central suture) composed of teeth fused to the jaws; gill openings small, on side just before pectorals; gill rakers not covered with skin; pectorals long, pointed; no pelvics; no tail base; dorsal and anal fins long and high, symmetrical, used for locomotion, at rear of body, their rear rays joined to tail fin immediately behind them that is reduced to a vertically elongate, short, blunt rudder, with oblique profile, no rear pointed extension; skin smooth, covered with small, hard, hexagonal plates.

The single member of this genus occurs worldwide in subtropical waters.