(Family):Body very elongate, strongly compressed. Upper jaw not protractile. Two or three large canines on the anterior part of premaxillary. Maxillary sheathed by infraorbital bones. A single nostril on each side. Spinous dorsal, if distinct not longer than the soft. Soft rays of anal fin short, spine-like. Pelvic fin reduced to a pair of scale-like appendage or absent. Caudal fin small or absent. (Genus):Dorsal aspect of head almost flat, interorbital space somewhat concave; no supraoccipital crest. Spinous dorsal base about half as long as the soft. Caudal fin very small. Dorsal fin with 32〜46 spines and 70〜109 soft rays. Pelvic fin present. (Species):Pelvic fin inserted before anterior end of pectoral base. Lateral line well developed. Dorsal fin with 39〜42 spines and 79〜88 soft ray*. Anal fin with 2 spines and 69〜75 soft rays*.
Distribution:
Warm waters of western North Pacific and Indian Oceans. Gulf of Mexico, off Suriname, and eastern tropical Atlantic. Type locality-Off Enoshima, Sagami Bay, Japan.
Remarks:
*Reference data from Parin and Bekker(1972). (Fujii)