Species: Prionotus martis, Barred Searobin

Prionotus martis Ginsburg, 1950

Barred Searobin

Head small, conical; snout long, sloping; mouth short, opens slightly under snout, lower jaw not projecting; no cirri over nostrils or eyes; peropercular spine reaching to edge of operculum; 8-11 (usually 9) lower gill rakers; dorsal rays X, 12; anal rays 11-13; pectoral fins with rounded ends, 14 (14-15) joined rays, moderately short, reaching to ~4th ray of anal fin, with 3 enlarged, free rays at bottom of fin; body scaled; throat scaled; membrane above opercular spine with scales; nape with scales.

Body plain grey brown, often with 3-4 dark diagonal saddles on upper back and tail base; rays of membranes under throat dark to black; dorsal fin with 2 non-ocellated spots (between spines I-II, and III-IV); pectorals dusky to dark with light mottling, to nearly black; upper half of tail fin spotted

Size: reaches 18 cm.

Habitat: mud-sand bottoms.

Depth: 11-110 m, usually 18-37 m.

The Gulf of Mexico.