Lionurus Gunther, 1887
Diagnosis: body fairly slender, tapering evenly to pointed tail. Head length about 15% of body length. Snout pointed, the tip and angles armed with tubercular scales; mouth inferior, small, upper jaw less than one-third head length, teeth in up to 5 rows in upper jaw, pointed, the outer row enlarged, 2 or more rows of pointed teeth in lower jaw; chin barbel present, up to three-quarters eye diameter; gillrakers 8-11; branchiostegal rays 6. First dorsal fin with 10-11 finrays, the second finray serrated; second dorsal fin beginning a little distance behind first, with very short finrays; pectoral fin with 17-20 finrays, a little in advance of dorsal fin origin; pelvic with 9-11 finrays, its insertion behind that of pectoral fin, outer finray elongated; anal fin origin behind origin of second dorsal fin. Scales either plain (abdominal region) or armed with parallel or slightly divergent rows of small spinules; scales absent on lower part of snout and on a pair of lunate areas above. Pyloric caeca 9, short and simple. Anus close to anal fin origin. No light organ. Colour: pale greyish with peppering of fine melanophores, especially on back; mouth, gill cavity, gular and branchiostegal membranes, first dorsal and pectoral fins, inner and outer finrays of pelvic fins, and pentoneum dark brown. Size: to at least 35 cm TL.
Habitat: benthopelagic at 1,440-5,610 m. Food: benthic and pelagic animals (polychaete worms, copepods, amphipods, isopods, mysids). Reproduction: no data.
Distribution: Atlantic, throughout western part of area, along Irish continental slope to about 60° N. Elsewhere, southward to the Equator, also western North Atlantic over continental slope and rise between Cape Hatteras and Nova Scotia and along Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Species 3; in Clofnam area 1.
Recent revision: Marshall (1973—western North Atlantic).
Species of this genus in the program:
Lionurus carapinus