Hymenocephalus Giglioli, 1882
Body fairly slender to fairly deep, tapering to pointed tail; head large, with prominent nasal supra-occipital and frontal crests. Snout short and high; eye usually large; mouth large, subterminal and long, the upper jaw reaching back to behind eye, teeth small, pointed and in narrow bands; chin barbel present or absent. Second finray of first dorsal fin usually smooth. Pelvic finrays 7-14. Scales large and very deciduous, with or without spinules. Sides of isthmus, shoulders and belly with fine alternating dark and silvery lines; an elongate light organ from before pelvic-fin base to anus, with a lens at each end.
Small and fragile fishes, rarely reaching 30 cm TL.
Species 17; in Clofnam area 2.
Recent revision: Marshall and Iwamoto (1973—western North Atlantic).
Species of this genus in the program:
Hymenocephalus gracilis
Hymenocephalus italicus