 the prowfish (zaprora silenus) is a species of subtropical perciform marine fish found in the northern pacific ocean. it is the only extant member of the family, zaproridae. another species, araeosteus rothi, is known from late miocene marine strata in southern california. z. silenus should not be confused with the australian prowfish of the unrelated family pataecidae. prowfish range from the aleutian islands, alaska west to kamchatka, russia; from navarin canyon in the bering sea south to hokkaidÅ, japan and monterey, california. an otherwise little-known species, prowfish are important to subsistence fisheries in remote regions. thumb|adult prowfish growing to a length of 100 cm or more, prowfish have stout, laterally compressed and elongated bodies. they have single, somewhat high dorsal fin running nearly the entire length of the back; it may contain 54-58 pliable spines. the anal fin is also fairly extensive. the tail fin is large, rounded and truncated; the pectoral fins are enlarged and pelvic fins are conspicuously absent. the mouth is slightly upturned with small, closely set, sharp teeth confined to the jaws. the head is convex, ending in a projecting snout. this explains the family name zaproridae; from the greek za, an intensifier, and prora meaning "prow". the species name silneus is a reference to silenus, a figure in greek mythology. the distinctive head of the prowfish also features a number of sensory pores made all the more obvious by fringes of blue or white. prowfish have small ctenoid scales and a variable coloration; typically, they are bluish-grey to olive brown with small dark spots, grading to lighter shades ventrally. the lateral line and swim bladder are absent. left|thumb|300px|juvenile thought to prefer rocky substrates in relatively shallow waters of no more than 675 m, prowfish are benthic animals spending most of their time on or near the bottom. their diet consists principally of scyphozoans and salps; prowfish use their large mouths to tear chunks from the bells of jellyfish and ctenophores. prowfish may also eat smaller fish and amphipods; however, juveniles feed exclusively on jellyfish. larger skates and halibut are known predators of prowfish. little is known of prowfish reproduction, but juvenil
Zaproridae