Sargassum fish are present; the gills open as pores near the base of the pectoral fins. The anal fin has no spines and seven to 13 soft rays. The pelvic fins are large and the pectoral fins have 9-11 rays and are stalked and able to grip objects. The outer rays of the tail fin are simple, but the central rays are forked. The sargassum fish has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and subtropical seas down to a depth around . It is found in parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific Ocean, where drifting seaweed accumulates. In the western Atlantic,
Sargassum to cover the entirety of the Sargasso Sea, making navigation impossible, it has since been found to occur only in drifts. "Sargassum" species ares also cultivated and cleaned for use as an herbal remedy. Many Chinese herbalists prescribe powdered "Sargassum"—either the species "S. pallidum", or more rarely, hijiki, "S. fusiforme"—in doses of 0.5 gram dissolved in warm water and drunk as a tea. It is called in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to resolve "heat phlegm". Species of this genus of algae may grow to a length of several metres. They are generally brown or dark green in