| Family | Scientific Name | Author | Year | Common Name |
| Ophididae | Bassozetus normalis | Gill | 1883 | Normal Assfish |
All Bassozetus Species: No barbels on snout and chin. Scales cycloid. Pelvic fins placed below preopercle, close together, each with 1 or 2 well-developed rays. Pectoral fins originating on the entire peduncle, fin short or only lower rays prolonged, rays 15 or more, lower pectoral-fin rays normal and fin not divided. Head more or less inflated, length about 1/2 preanal length, not depressed. Mouth subterminal; upper jaw ends well behind eye. Eyes large to small, diameter less than snout; externally visible; developed lens present. Long gill rakers 5 or more. Opercular spine absent or weak, if present rather broad, flattened and flap-like incorporated in opercular bone. Depth of body less than 10 times in standard length. Body not soft. Anterior nostril not swollen (FAO 1999).
Bassozetus normalis
Unique Characteristics: One well-developed basibranchial tooth plate. Long gill rakers 11-21. Dorsal-fin rays 98-133; anal-fin rays 90-111. Precaudal vertebrae 11-19. Length of pelvic fins rarely more than 19% standard length, rarely reaching beyond anus. Depth at anus 8.7-14% standard length. Sagittal otolith small (4 mm in a 250 mm standard length specimen). Transverse scale rows between anus and dorsal fin 15-35. Scales small (more than 25 transverse rows) (FAO 1999).
Similar Species: None
References:
Goode, G.B. and T. H. Bean. 1896. Oceanic ichthyology. A treatise on the deep-sea and pelagic fishes of the world, based chiefly upon the collections made by the Steamers Blake, Albatross, and Fish Hawk in the northwestern Atlantic, with an atlas containing 417 figures. Special Bulletin. Smithsonian Institution. United States National Museum. Washington, DC. 927 pp.
(FAO 1999). Nielsen, J.G., Cohen, D.M., Markle, D.F., and C.R. Robins. FAO species catalogue. Volume 18. Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol. 18. Rome, FAO. 178 pp., 136 figs.