▁head ▁and ▁body ▁is ▁covered ▁in ▁der mal ▁spin ules , ▁those ▁along ▁the ▁sn out ▁mid line ▁being ▁en larg ed . ▁The ▁j aw ▁la cks ▁teeth , ▁whereas ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁d entic ular ▁b one ▁have ▁f used ▁into ▁a ▁larger ▁mass ; ▁the ▁upper ▁d entic ular ▁b one ▁poss esses ▁ 1 0   – ▁ 1 7 ▁hook ed ▁dent icles . ▁ ▁In ▁both ▁sex es , ▁the ▁fins ▁are ▁spin eless : ▁the ▁single ▁d ors al ▁fin ▁with ▁ 5   – ▁ 6 ▁soft ▁ray s , ▁the ▁p ector al ▁fins ▁with ▁ 1 4   – ▁ 1 8 , ▁the ▁anal ▁fin ▁with ▁four , ▁and ▁the ▁ca ud al ▁fin ▁with ▁ 1 9 . ▁There ▁are ▁six ▁branch i ost eg al ▁ray s ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁verte bra e ; ▁the ▁par iet al ▁is ▁lack ing ▁throughout ▁life , ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁ep ur als , ▁and ▁the ▁pel vic ▁b one ▁is ▁tri rad iate . ▁ ▁Life ▁history ▁The ▁football ▁fish ▁was ▁first ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁by ▁deep ▁sea ▁fish erman ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁fl ound er . ▁Their ▁poor ▁mus cul ature ▁and ▁cum bers ome ▁morph ology ▁indicate ▁that ▁m ature ▁female ▁football fish ▁are ▁probably ▁poor ▁sw imm ers ▁and ▁largely ▁sed ent ary , ▁lie - in - wait ▁pred ators . ▁They ▁are ▁primarily ▁mes op el ag ic ,