Trachipteridae
by G. Palmer
Elongate fishes, ribbon-like and compressed. Head short, its bones paper-thin and fragile; mouth small, protrusible, subvertical; a few pointed teeth in both jaws and on vomer and usually on palatines. Dorsal fin originating above or slightly posterior to eye and extending nearly to caudal fin, its anterior finrays more or less elongate, forming a nuchal pennant; anal fin absent; caudal fin horizontal or with two lobes, the upper often pointing straight up, the lower rudimentary; pectoral fins short, inserted horizontally; pelvic fins inserted on ventral midline of body, with 3-9 finrays markedly elongate in the young; dorsal, pelvic and caudal elongate finrays tending to become reduced and to disappear completely with age. Skin rather uniformly covered with bony tubercles in adults; lateral line consisting of bony plates each armed with a spine, running gradually toward midventral profile and ending at base of caudal fin or extending onto lower caudal fin lobe. Considerable changes in shape of body and fins occur during growth.
Mesopelagic in all temperate and tropical seas, feeding on small fishes and squids.
Genera 3; in Clofnam area 2.