Family Elopidae Valenciennes 1847 (Fig. 2F). Ladyfishes, Tenpounders, Machetes; Macabís, Machetes, Peces Torpedo

Description: Body elongate, slender and rounded (little compressed), fusiform; up to 100 cm in length; mouth terminal and relatively long, ending past eye; teeth small, granular, on jaws, roof of mouth, tongue and base of gill arches; scales relatively small, usually 95–120 in lateral-line; all fins without spines; pelvic-fin rays usually 12–16; a single dorsal fin, usually with 20–25 rays, the last ray not elongate; insertion of pelvic fin beneath or posterior to the origin of the dorsal fin; anal-fin rays usually 13–18; caudal fin strongly forked; usually silvery in color (Robertson & Allen 2015, Nelson et al. 2016). Distribution: Mainly marine (rarely brackish and freshwater); tropical and subtropical oceans (Nelson et al. 2016). One genus and two species in Nicaraguan freshwaters.