Species: Bellator brachychir, Shortfin Searobin

Bellator brachychir (Regan, 1914)

Shortfin Searobin

Snout blunt; spiny projections at front of snout very short, blunt, with short triangular forward-projecting plates; mouth large, reaches past front edge of eye; eye large; no flaps or tentacles over eye; no spines around nostrils; spine behind top corner of operculum short; dorsal fin XI, no elongate spines, 11-12; anal 11-12 (usually 11) rays; pectoral fins short, 12 joined rays, reaching origin of anal fin, with 3 enlarged, free rays at bottom of fin, 1st free ray distinctly longer than fin itself; breast without scales; 62-70 lateral line scales; membrane above opercular spine without scales; nape not scaled.

Upper half brown, lower ½ white; dorsal fin brown, with a black spot between spines IV-V or V-VI; pectoral with rear edge light, rays 3-5 with elongate black blotch; tail fin with 2 dark reddish bars; pelvics and anal fins white.

Size: 19 cm.

Habitat: sand and mud bottoms.

Depth: 27-366 m, usually 137-275 m.

N Carolina to Uruguay.