Common Name
Black Widow Brotula
Year Described
Böhlke, 1957
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 109
Anal Fin: 92
Pectoral Fin: 21-23
Caudal Fin: 6
Vertebrae: 14 precaudal
Gill Rakers: 3-4 (developed)
Body elongate and compressed, tapering strongly to the tail. Head distinctively shaped with a rounded off short snout and lower jaw (snub-nosed). Upper jaw strongly overhanging lower. Mouth downcurved but barely reaches past posterior margin of eye. Maxilla thin. Teeth in jaws and vomer. Palatine teeth absent. Eye relatively large. Opercle without a spine. Pectoral fins large and fan-like. Pelvic fin a single filamentous ray. Dorsal and anal fins broad and tall (undulate when moving). Tail continuous. Lateral line in two parts. Scales on body and head.
Color
Body uniformly dark red-brown. Fins dark brown to black.
Size
Maximum size to 80mm SL.
Habitat
Shallow coral reefs from 2-110m. Frequently in caves.
Range
Widespread from the Bahamas to Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea.
References
Bohlke, J.E. 1957. A new shallow-water brotulid fish from the Great Bahama Bank. Not Nat (Phila), 295, 1-8.