Gempylidae
Sign in to saveAlso known as snake mackerels, escolars
The Gempylidae are a family of scombriform ray-finned fishes commonly known as snake mackerels or escolars. The family includes about 25 species.
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Encyclopedic overview
6 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Fossil genera
- Timeline
- See also
- References
- External links
The Gempylidae are a family of scombriform ray-finned fishes commonly known as snake mackerels or escolars. The family includes about 25 species.
They are elongated fishes with a similar appearance to barracudas, having a long dorsal fin, usually with one or finlets trailing it. The largest species, including the snoek (Leionura atun), grow up to long, and the oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) can reach , though they rarely surpass . Like the barracudas, they are predators, with fang-like teeth.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Gempylidae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.