Author: Jordan and Snyder, 1902
Field Marks:
Extremely long snout, pitchfork-shaped denticles, large grooved spines on dorsals, no anal fin, subterminal notch on caudal fin.
Diagnostic Features:
Anterior nasal flaps short, not expanded into barbels; snout greatly elongated, spatulate, flattened, length over half head length and greater than distance from mouth to pectoral origins; gill openings moderately broad and about equally wide; lips thin, not fringed or pleated, not suctorial; teeth somewhat different in upper and lower jaws, uppers smaller, with narrow, erect to semi-oblique cusps, short blades, no cusplets, and high, broad roots, semi-bladelike, lower teeth larger, broad, bladelike with semierect to oblique narrow cusps, short blades, interlocked roots, and smooth edges; tooth rows 26 to 33/26 to 31. Both dorsal fins with grooved spines, the second very large, strongly curved, and elongated, the first short but strong; first dorsal origin varying from about over rear ends of pectoral bases to over pectoral free rear tips, first dorsal insertion well in front of pelvic origins and about midway between pectoral and pelvic bases; second dorsal origin about over middle of pelvic bases; second dorsal fin about as large or slightly larger than first, its base subequal to about 2/3 length of first dorsal base; pectoral fins with narrowly rounded or angular free rear tips, not broadly lobate or acutely attenuate; caudal fin asymmetrical, not paddle-shaped, upper lobe long, lower lobe very short, subterminal notch well-developed. No precaudal pits or lateral keels on caudal peduncle; midventral keel variably present or absent. Dermal denticles with high pedicels, tricuspidate and triridged, erect crowns, and stellate bases, resembling tiny pitchforks. Cloaca without a luminous gland. Colour dark grey or brown.
Remarks:
Arrangement of this genus follows Bigelow and Schroeder (1957), Bass, d'Aubrey and Kistnasamy (1976), and Cadenat and Blache (1981).