Diretmidae
by A. Post
Body high, compressed; eye large; mouth deep, oblique; teeth minute; one supramaxilla; gillrakers lath-like. No spines in vertical fins. Scales ctenoid. No lateral line visible.
Mesopelagic, moderately rare, plankton-eaters. All species bear aggregates of epidermal glands on the medial wall of the gill chamber; the secretion of these glands has been interpreted as a defence system, having a bad-smelling effect on potential predators.
Genera 2, both in Clofnam area.
Recent revision: Post and Quero (1981).