Butterfish is the common name for a fish of the family Stromateidae.

Fish of this family are usually deep-bodied, flattened sideways and somewhat circular or rounded, with blunt noses and small mouths. Some other characteristics of this family are the absence of pelvic fins, one long continuous dorsal fin, and tiny cycloid scales. Butterfish are pelagic and often swim in large schools. They are found in most temperate and tropical seas, distributed around the coasts of North and South America, western Africa, and in the Indo-Pacific. In some areas of the world, butterfish are harvested commercially as a food fish.

This family contains 3 genera, encompassing 13 species.

External link

Fishbase entry for butterfish