Yawning

This species is distinguished by the following characters: spinulated posterior and lower margins of the praeoperculum with the angular part of the praeoperculum having a non-spinulated notch; insertion of the ventral fins at the level of the vertical of the posterior margin of the pectoral fin insertion, or sometimes slightly shifted anteriad in small specimens; upper jaw extends beyond the vertical of the posterior eye margin; possess the smallest eyes among other species of the genus, 10.7-17.2 times in HL; soft rays on dorsal fin 9-10, in anal fin 7-8; first branchial arch with 23-25 rakers; vertebrae 24-25; pyloric caeca 7 (Ref. 83463).

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 7 - 8

Trawled at depths greater than 800-1000 m (Ref. 4241, 83463); seined with unclosing fishing gear at 4500-0 m and with closing fishing gear at depths of 1300-645 m (Ref. 83463).

fisheries: of no interest

分布於印度及太平洋的熱帶及亞熱帶海域。臺灣分布於東北部海域。

罕見之魚種，除學術研究外，無經濟價值。

體延長，略呈紡錘形，尾柄細長。頭大，表面凹陷不平整，頭頂兩側各具細鋸齒狀縱向稜脊，稜脊前方呈棘狀；鼻間具一直立尖棘；眶下骨下緣具細棘。吻中長而圓鈍。眼小，眼徑小於眶下寬之1/4。口裂較大，斜裂；下頜稍突出；牙細小，上下頜各1列；鋤骨及腭骨無齒。鰓蓋骨無棘；第一鰓弓鰓耙26-28。体被易落之圓鱗，頭部無鱗；側線鱗數28-31。背鰭單一，硬棘及軟條間無缺刻，具硬棘III，軟條12-14；臀鰭基底短，具硬棘I，軟條9-10；胸鰭長，尖形；腹鰭短小；尾鰭內凹。體一致為黑褐色。

中、底層魚類，棲息深度在00-5,000公尺間，通常白天棲息於800公尺以上水域，晚上則遷移至較淺水域。以小型甲殼類為食。

Poromitra oscitans, the yawning, is a fish of the family Melamphaidae, found in tropical and subtropical waters of the indo-Pacific region. It grows to a length of 8.2cm SL, and lives at a depth of 643-5320m.