: a family of fishes (order Pediculati) that have an elongated somewhat compressed body, a short head deeper than broad, a large nearly vertical mouth with protrusible premaxillaries, rather large pectoral fins with elongated carpal bones forming a wrist, a first dorsal fin consisting of separate spines of which the first is usually elongated and provided with a membranous flap that projects forward over the mouth and functions as a bait, that scramble about among seaweeds, and that include the frogfishes and sargassum fishes compare angler
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Antennarius, type genus (from Medieval Latin antenna + Latin -arius -ary) + -idae; from the antennary process on the head
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