Species: Prionotus alatus, Spiny Searobin

Prionotus alatus Goode & Bean, 1883

Spiny Searobin

Snout short, a little dished before eye, depressed at front; head large (>1/3 SL); no cirri over nostrils or eyes; spines around nostrils, small but noticeable to touch; mouth opens slightly under snout, lower jaw not projecting; preopercular spine long, reaching well past operculum; dorsal rays X, 12; anal rays 10; pectoral 13-14 joined rays, with 3 enlarged, free rays at bottom of fin, lower rays very long, reaching to base of tail fin, upper 2/3 of rays reaching only to center of anal fin, the rear edge of the fin concave as a result; body scaled; chest and throat without scales; membrane above opercular spine with scales; nape with scales.

Body yellowish to red-brown, with mottling; pectoral with black bars; spiny dorsal with a small black spot between spines IV-V, soft dorsal striped; tail fin with irregular whitish and dark grey bars, lower part redbrown; pelvics white, with orange tones.

Size: reaches 20 cm.

Habitat: mud-sand bottoms.

Depth: 35-611 m, usually 55-148 m.

Virginia to the Campeche shelf.