Species: Trachyscorpia cristulata, Atlantic thornyhead
crest under eye: many small spines
pectoral: top rays branch, lower rays fleshy
D XII
Trachyscorpia cristulata (Goode & Bean, 1896)
Atlantic thornyhead
Head large (47-48% SL), snout short; head bones strong with well developed spines; no pit on top of head behind eyes; eye moderately large; sides of roof of mouth with teeth; bone under front of eye with 2 spines, 1st points out and to rear, 2nd points to rear; longitudinal crest under & behind eye with many small spines; preopercle with 4-5 spines, 1st spine longest & with a small supplemental spine; no slit behind last gill arch; dorsal fin XII, 9.5 (rarely 8.5); anal fin III, 5; pectoral not wedge shaped, fin bilobed with longest rays at top, 21-24, rays 2 to 10-12 branched, lower rays fleshy in large fish; scales rough, in 57-67 vertical rows; scales on cheek, and between and behind eyes; lateral line with tubed scales, complete, extending to base of tail fin.
Head, body and fins red, head and body mottled with brown blotches and small white spots, and pale areas on top of head and on top of back.
Reaches ~55 cm.
Lives on hard bottoms
Depth range 140-2500 m.
TransAtlantic, the West Atlantic subspecies T. cristulata cristulata present from Masschusetts to the Gulf of Mexico.
Note: The eastern Atlantic subspecies T. cristulata echinata, has a smaller head and fewer pectoral fin rays than T. cristulata cristulata.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore Only
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Mud
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends North of GC
- All species
- GC non-endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 55
- Depth Range Min
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- 140
- Depth Range Max
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- 2500
