Species: Hollardia meadi, Spotted Spikefish

Hollardia meadi Tyler, 1966

Spotted Spikefish

Body deep, slightly compressed; mouth small, opens at front; teeth conical, 1 series on each jaw; top teeth 11.5 (10-13), bottom teeth 15 (12-18); gill opening a short vertical slit before pectoral base; gill rakers 15 (13-17); dorsal fin origin usually behind top corner of gill opening; VI dorsal spines, the first long and strong, decreasing in size to rear, spines can be locked upright, 16 (15-16) soft rays; pectoral 16 (16-17) rays; anal fin 15 (14-16); fin rays branched; pelvic fin with a large spine and 1 inconspicuous ray; ventral surface of scale-covered part of pelvis rounded; pelvis relatively narrow (its width between the pelvic spines about 14-16% of its length); bases of unerected pelvic spines in close contact; skin thick, rough, covered with numerous small scales, each with tiny spines.

Pale pinkish, body with dark spots (those on upper body in several ~horizontal rows), and 2 yellow stripes (1 from top of eye to end of dorsal fin base, 1 from eye to near front of anal fin base); a row of elongate dark spots from eye to over pectoral base, may form an interrupted line; lining of gut cavity pale to silvery white; gill chamber pale, with sparse, irregular dark patches.

Reaches 10 cm.

Demersal on rocky bottoms.

Depth range: 54-900 m.

The Bahamas to the SE Caribbean.