Species: Prionotus carolinus, Northern searobin

Prionotus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1771)

Northern searobin

Snout long, sloping; mouth small, opens slightly under snout, lower jaw not projecting; no cirri over nostrils or eyes; preopercular spine reaches just past edge of operculum; dorsal rays X, 12; anal rays 10; pectoral fins with rounded rear edge, 13-14 joined rays, with 3 enlarged, free rays at bottom of fin, fin reaching to ~4th anal fin ray; body scaled; membrane above opercular spine with scales; nape with scales.

Upper body mottled with dark spots and blotches; upper back with a row of  6 white spots; dorsal fin with a white stripe under a dark, non-ocellated spot between spines IV and V; membranes under throat dusky to black; pectoral fin yellowish-brown, 2-3 dark cross bars, upper bar spotted; top of end of tail base with a white spot; tail fin with white bars above, dark below; anal fin with a dark stripe, white outer edging.

Size: reaches 38 cm.

Habitat: mud-sand bottoms.

Depth: 9-170 m, usually 18-55 m.

Nova Scotia to Florida.