Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Peristedion brevirostre, Flathead Armored Searobin

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

head broad, rim wide, ends in strong spine
rostral plates short, broad
large nasal spine
barbels: lip 1 v long, chin 31-42

Peristedion brevirostre (Gunther, 1860)

Flathead Armored Searobin

Head and body flattened below, body completely covered in a heavy armor of 4 rows of bony spiny scales; body low and moderately broad; head wide, flat, bony rim around its side edge wide, ending in a large spine; large spine at nostril, no spine at base of snout plates; snout long and very broad, rostral plates very short (length usually < eye), broad based; barbels: 1 very long lower lip barbel; 32-42 chin barbels in 7 clusters; preopercular spine long; opercular spine very long; dorsal fin divided into separate spiny and soft parts, VIII + 17, both parts high; anal fin without spines, 17; pectoral fin 12 + 2 free rays, fin is long; pelvic fins wide apart, below base of pectorals, I,5 rays; front edge of first spiny plate under belly at or before bony pelvic girdle.

Head and body reddish.

Reaches 28 cm.

Found on sand/mud and hard bottoms.

Depth range: 55-550 m.

The Gulf of Mexico and eastern Florida to the S Caribbean.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Mud
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bathydemersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 28
Depth Range Min
  • 55
Depth Range Max
  • 550