Species: Prionotus tribulus, Bighead Searobin

Prionotus tribulus Cuvier, 1829

Bighead Searobin

Head large (>1/3 SL), deep, robust; no cirri at nostrils or over eyes; no spines at nostrils; mouth large, reaches to under front edge of eye, opens slightly under snout, lower jaw not projecting; preopercular spine reaching past operculum; 8-16 gill rakers; dorsal rays X, 12; anal rays 10; pectoral fin with rounded rear edge, 13-14 joined rays, lower rays not longer than upper, reaches ~1/2 way along anal fin base, with 3 enlarged, free rays at bottom of fin; body scaled; chest scaled; membrane above opercular spine with scales; nape with scales.

Body brown to grey-brown; lower body white to yellowish white; 3 short oblique dark bars on upper body; pectoral fin brown with dark cross bars, green color at outer lower part of fin, free rays barred; spiny dorsal with a large dark blotch at spines IV-V; tail fin blackish, with a pale bar at its end.

Size: reaches 45 cm.

Habitat: mud-sand bottoms.

Depth: 9-183 m, usually 9-64 m.

New York to the Gulf of Mexico.