Genus: Porichthys, Midshipmen
LL: 4, with light organs
D1: II solid spines
with canines
1 solid opercular spine
no scales
PORICHTHYS
MIDSHIPMEN
Body compressed, elongate; head a little flattened above, no tentacles; one strong solid spine on opercle, no subopercular spines; teeth like canines; gill openings restricted to side, before pectoral fin base; first dorsal fin 2 solid spines, separate from second (soft) dorsal fin; dorsal and anal fins joined to tail fin in some species; discrete glands on inner surface of pectoral between upper fin rays; no pore behind base of pectoral; 4 lateral lines, with light organs; no scales.
A genus, with 14 species, occurs on both side of the Atlantic, eastern Indian Ocean and our region; 8 species endemic to the eastern Pacific, all of them found in our region.
