Psenes Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1833
Generally small fishes with a deep to elongate, compressed body, musculature firm to soft; caudal peduncle short, compressed and somewhat slender. Mouth small to medium-sized, end of maxilla under anterior part of eye. Pointed teeth in a single series in both jaws, those in the upper jaw small, slightly curved, and spaced; those in the lower jaw larger, long, blade-like and close-set; small pointed teeth on the head of the vomer and in a single series on the palatines and basibranchials. Two dorsal fins, scarcely separated; origin of first dorsal fin ahead of origin of pectoral fin; dorsal fin spines long and slender, the longest about equal in length to the longest dorsal finray; 2 or 3 anal fin spines; origin of pelvic fins under pectoral fin base; pectoral fins rounded or elongate; caudal fin deeply forked. Scales very small, with a few weak cteni, very thin, easily shed and covering bases of the dorsal and anal fins; tubed scales of lateral line high, following dorsal profile and ending before or on caudal peduncle; scales on head extending forward on midline to only over the eyes, sides of head above eyes and snout naked. Colour uniform grey to darker, sometimes with a mottled or striped pattern. Oceanic in tropical and subtropical seas.
Species at least 7; in Clofnam area 2.
Recent revisions: Haedrich (1967), Haedrich and Horn (1972).
Species of this genus in the program:
Psenes maculatus
Psenes pellucidus