Genus Othos

A monotypic genus confined to southern Australia. Body elongate; head large, dorsal profile slightly curved; eyes moderately small, extending above dorsal profile of head, interorbital space narrow; mouth reaching distictly beyond hind margin of eyes; upper jaw with 2 enormous single or paired canines at front, followed by row of small canines and narrow, inner border of villiform teeth, 2 large patches of villiform teeth between canines, lower jaw also with 2 enormous canines anteriorly, each followed by single series of progessively longer canines posteriorly; fine teeth on vomer and palatines; opercle with 3 flat spines; hind edge of preopercles finely serrate, broadly curved; scales finely ctenoid, covering bases of vertical fins and head, including snout, preorbitals and maxillae; dorsal fin with low central notch; caudal fin rounded; pectoral fins large, rounded, not reaching anal-fin origin; ventral fins small, tip pointed.