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Species: Prionotus alatus, Spiny searobin

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small nasal spines
D1 black spot between spines 4 & 5
pectoral: v long, concave rear edge, black bars

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.

  


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • All species..
  • Extends North of GC
  • Continent only
  • Continent
  • GC non-endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 20
Depth Range Min
  • 35
Depth Range Max
  • 611