Species: Peristedion gracile, Slender Searobin, Temperate Slender Armored Searobin
rostral plates long, narrow

barbels: lip 5; chin 26-36
bicolored: red above, white below
Peristedion gracile Goode & Bean, 1896
Slender Searobin, Temperate Slender Armored Searobin
Head and body flattened below, body completely covered in a heavy armor of 4 rows of bony spiny scales; body slender, narrow, rectangular in cross section, its depth and width at anus about as great as head; head short, narrow, bony rim around its side narrow, ends in a spine; broad between eyes (width ~snout rostrum length); snout long and narrow, rostral plates moderate to long, narrow, almost parallel; no spines at base of snout rostrum or nostril; very short spine on preoperculum; barbels: 5 lower lip barbels in 2 clusters; 26-36 chin barbels in 7 clusters; dorsal fin divided into separate spiny and soft parts, VIII + 20, spiny part high, soft part low; anal fin without spines, 20-21; pectoral fin 12 + 2 free rays, fin short; pelvic fins wide apart, below base of pectorals, I, 5 rays.
Bicolored, reddish to yellowish above, white below; a dark stripe through middle of dorsal fins; rear edge of tail dark red.
Reaches 20 cm.
Habitat sand/mud and hard bottoms.
Depth range: 29-940 m, usually shallower than 146 m.
Virginia to the Gulf of Mexico; Colombia.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Mud
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Continental primarily
- Extends North of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 20
- Depth Range Min
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- 29
- Depth Range Max
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- 940