Spinyfins are a family, Diretmidae, of trachichthyform fishes. The family name is derived from the type genus, Diretmus, from Greek, di meaning "two" and eretmos meaning "oar". They are found worldwide in deep waters, as deep as 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[2]

Spinyfins
Silver spinyfin, Diretmus argenteus.
from plate 45 of Oceanic Ichthyology by George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean, published 1896
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Trachichthyiformes
Suborder: Anoplogastroidei
Family: Diretmidae
T. N. Gill, 1896
Genera[1]

Diretmichthys
Diretmoides
Diretmus

As the common name implies, spinyfins have heavy spines along their fins. They have deep, compressed bodies, and almost vertically aligned mouths. They are dark silver in colour, and reach up to 37 cm (15 in) in length.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Diretmidae". FishBase. October 2012 version.
  2. ^ a b Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N., eds. (1998). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 162–163. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.