Ribbon Fish (Lepturacanthus savala)

A pelagic fish they are named so because of their slim shape. The Ribbonfish has a long compressed body which is tape-like and has a short head. There is no anal fin and the dorsal fin extends till the tail of the fish. The pectoral fins of the ribbon fish are small while the pelvic fins may comprise of one ray only. If there is a caudal fin present than it has two fascicles of rays out of which the upper one is prolonged and moving outwards.

Ribbon Fish has all the characteristics of fishes which occupy the lower depths of water. Their fins and the membrane that connects them are considered to be quite delicate. In some of the young ribbon fishes, the fin rays are quite elongated and they are often accompanied by appendages.

Specimens of the ribbon fish have been found in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Bay of Bengal, at Mauritius, and in the Pacific. In England, the north Atlantic species has been given the name dealfish. The length of the ribbon fish may range from 5 to 8 feet but occasionally it may reach up to a size of 20 feet.