Cheilopogon Lowe, 1840
(included in Cypselurus Swainson, 1839 by some authors)
Body elongate, thick, flattened ventrally. Pectoral branch of lateral line absent. Upper jaw not protrusible. Anal fin origin 3 rays or more behind dorsal fin origin, dorsal fin usually with 2-5 rays more than anal fin (rarely with one more or equal number of rays); dorsal fin of moderate height, anterior rays the longest; pectoral fins strikingly long, reaching almost to caudal fin base; pelvic fins long, reaching beyond anal fin origin, their insertion closer to anal fin origin than to pectoral fin insertion.
Habitat: epipelagic in oceanic waters. Food: no data. Reproduction: juveniles with a pair of flattened tapering chin barbels bearing small lateral flap.
Distribution: only occasional stragglers recorded as far north as La Rochelle (France) but this record (lectotype of E. spilopus Val.) as well as those from Mediterranean (Tortonese, 1937; Lozano Rey, 1947) need verification. Elsewhere, in northern and south-western parts of tropical Atlantic.
See also family.
Species about 25; in Clofnam area 3.
Species of this genus in the program:
Cheilopogon exciliens
Cheilopogon heterurus
Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus