Genus: Parasaccogaster, Deep-Water Brotulas

PARASACCOGASTER

DEEP-WATER BROTULAS

Body robust to elongated, tail base not attenuated; skin thick, loose on head; head small to large; eye small, under skin; front nostril is immediately above the top lip; top jaw bone vertically expanded at rear; teeth on sides of roof of mouth; 2-3 gill rakers; no central tooth patch at bottom of gill arches; no spines at lower corner of preoperculum; spine at upper corner of operculum; 8 branchiostegal rays; gill opening ends at of below top of pectoral base; anal fin originates on rear half of body; pectoral fin with an elongated stalk-like base attached to body, 12-19 rays; pelvic fin is a single thread that originates under base of pectoral fin; dorsal and anal fins broadly joined to tail fin; scales absent; male with a stalked sex organ.

A neotropical genus with 3 species, two of them endemic to our region, but only one entering shallow water.