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The structure of the fins is essentially the same in this family as in the sea basses; both spiny and soft portions of the dorsal are well developed and the ventrals are situated below the pectorals. There are important anatomic differences, however, most obvious of which are that the edge of the gill cover does not end with a sharp spine in the porgies but is rounded or at most bluntly angular; and that the maxillary bone (the bone forming the margin of the upper jaw) is sheathed and hidden by the preorbital bone when the mouth is closed. Long, pointed pectoral fins are likewise characteristic of the family; the spiny and soft portions of the dorsal fin are continuous, and the soft rayed anal fin is about as long as the soft part of the dorsal.