Species: Peristedion longispatha, Widehead Armored Searobin

Peristedion longispatha Goode & Bean, 1886

Widehead Armored Searobin

Head and body flattened below, body completely covered in a heavy armor of 4 rows of bony spiny scales, some of those at rear of series along center of top of back with double pointed spines pointing forward and back;; body very long and very narrow; head extremely wide; narrow between the eyes, bony rim around its side ending in a broad right-angled wing; snout long and narrow; snout plates long and narrow, as long as snout, diverging; adults without spine at base of rostral plate or at nostril; no large spines on the preoperculum; long spine from operculum; barbels: filamentous barbel moderately long, not reach rear edge of bony face rim; 2 separate lower lip barbels; 12-13 chin barbels in 6 clusters, barbels generally with enlarged, rounded tips; dorsal fin divided into separate spiny and soft parts, VIII +18-19, spiny part high, soft part very low; anal fin without spines, 19-20; pectoral fin 11-13 + 2 free rays, fin short; pelvic fins wide apart, below base of pectorals, I, 5 rays.

Body and fins red; outer 1/3 of dorsal fins and tail fin, and outer 2/3 of pectoral very dark; lining of gut cavity and rear of roof of mouth translucent.

Reaches 20 cm.

Lives on sand/mud bottoms.

Depth range: 100-783 m.

The Carolinas to the S Caribbean.