Description: Body somewhat thick, very long and narrow with a small head and small to medium-sized round eye and a large mouth with a hook-like protruding lower jaw with a bulbous tip. Pectoral fins short and pelvic fins separate and short. Dorsal and anal fin bases very long, caudal peduncle very short and relatively wide, 5-6 procurrent caudal fin rays (5 spindly). Lightly marked, mostly along the ventral midline: melanophores at the isthmus, a short row of about four just forward of the pelvic fin base continuing as a short row behind the pelvic fin base then diverging into a pair of rows along the sides of the abdominal gut strip. There is a row of melanophores along the base of all of the anal fin rays (paired and one per ray) continuing as a short row of about three melanophores along the ventral caudal peduncle midline ending before the procurrent caudal fin rays. There are melanophores along the base of some of the last dorsal fin rays (paired, off-center, and one per ray) continuing along the dorsal caudal peduncle midline ending before the procurrent caudal fin rays. There is a short row of about three melanophores along the lateral midline of the caudal peduncle. Melanophores line the proximal third of the lower central caudal fin rays and the mid- and distal portion of the several lowest segmented caudal fin rays. Melanophores on the head are limited to a pair at the angles of the jaw. Internal melanophores occur around the saccule and along the dorsal surface of the swim bladder (not at the vent).
Diagnosis: The fin-ray count range of D-XXV-XXVII,43-45 A-36-37 indicates Microdesmus carri. This is the only Caribbean microdesmid with more than 23 dorsal fin spines. (U)
