ABSTRACT
The Family Malacosteidae comprises 3 genera and 15 species worldwide (Nelson 1994) with all genera and 9 species found in our area (Morrow 1964c). They have elongated jaws (longer than the skull), head moves vertically (due to lack of ossification of first few vertebrae) and lack a floor to the mouth (due to lack of a membrane between the mandibular symphysis and hyoid apparatus with muscles in single sheath forming a slim cord). The dorsal fin is above the anal fin, adipose fin and scales absent, chin barbel and pectoral fins maybe absent. The body is long, slender and compressed lacking scales and with minute photophores scattered over the head and body. They are small predators in the meso-and bathypelagic zone with large teeth. The unusual lack of a mouth floor and long jaws allows for an extraordinary large mouth opening (Moser 1996f).
