Atlantic Football Fish

Illicium short, its base in advance of eye; rays of pectoral and unpaired fins sparsely pigmented, except their bases black; two pairs of swellings in the distal end of esca, almost equal in size and shape (Ref. 13608).Description: Distinguishing characteristics of metamorphosed female: length of anterior escal appendage 2.7-16% SL in specimens less than 10 cm, 16-42% SL in larger specimens; distal escal appendages 0.9-2.1% SL in specimens less than 20 cm, 1.0-4.2% SL in larger specimens; blunt distal escal lobes; posterior escal appendages undivided proximally, simple or divided distally into 2-6 branches, total length 4.6-20% in SL in specimens less than 10 cm, 15-34% SL in larger specimens; 2-13 posterolateral appendages on and closely below base of escal bulb, usually all arranged in pairs, simple or divided into 2-9 branches, distal and longest pair 14-41% SL in specimens less than 10 cm, 23-51% SL in larger specimens (Ref. 86949).

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5 - 6; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 4

Dwarf males of 4 cm length apparently do not become parasitically attached to females (Ref. 10299).

Dwarf males of 4 cm length apparently do not become parasitically attached to females.

fisheries: of no interest