Nematonurus Gunther, 1887
Diagnosis: head moderate, 16-20% of body length; abdominal region long, tapering evenly to pointed tail. Snout pointed, greater than eye, naked below and with a pair of naked areas at tip above, sub-orbital ridge running back below eye conspicuous, but not very prominent; eyes relatively small; mouth moderate, subterminal to inferior, teeth in upper jaw in two rows, outer enlarged, a single row in lower jaw; chin barbel about eye diameter or a little less; gillrakers 7; branchiostegal rays 6. First dorsal fin with 10-12 finrays, the second finray serrated; second dorsal fin beginning some distance behind first and behind vertical from anal fin origin; pectoral fin with 19-21 finrays, its base before dorsal fin origin; pelvic fin with I0-11 finrays, outer finray prolonged; anal fin origin far back (preanal distance about twice head length). Scales with spines in regular parallel or divergent rows, the central row the strongest. Pyloric caeca 12, simple and fairly thick. Anus close to anal fin origin. No light organ. Colour: generally brownish to reddish brown, fin membranes brownish, mouth and gill cavity blackish. Size: to at least 80 cm TL.
Habitat: benthopelagic at 282-4,700 m, usually below 2,000 m. Food: benthic animals (amphipods, isopods, cumacids), also pelagic animals (mysids, euphausids and other crustaceans, echinoderms, cephalopods and fishes). Reproduction: no data.
Distribution: south-western part of area, from 27 to 49° N and from 5 to 33° W. Elsewhere, western North Atlantic (Davis Strait to Havana) and off Montevideo, also southern Indian Ocean, New Zealand and equatorial and mid-northern Pacific.
Species 4; in Clofnam area 1.
Recent revision: Marshall (1973—western North Atlantic).
Species of this genus in the program:
Nematonurus armatus