Common Name
Prickly Flounder
Year Described
Norman, 1930
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 123-145
Anal Fin: 106-123
Pectoral Fin: absent
Pelvic Fin: 7 on left side, 6-7 on right side
Gill Rakers: 8-15 (first arch)
Lateral Line Scales: 152-195
Vertebrae: 15-17 precaudal, 48-50 caudal; 64-66 total.
Body fairly elongate and ovoid (depth 2.3-2.8 in SL) with strongly sloped head profile and fairly flat dorsal/ventral profile. Head length 19-23% SL. Eye diameter greater than snout, but less than law length. Posterior margin of jaw reaches the posterior margin of lower eye. Teeth small, slender, and in a single row in both jaws. Anus along midline. Body scales with 1-4 spinules that stick out away from the body. Dorsal fin low with origin anterior to upper eye. Anal fin low with origin posterior to pelvic base. Dorsal and anal fins contiguous with caudal fin. Pectoral fins absent. Caudal fin small and rounded.
Color
Pale gray to brown with small dark blotches on body. Fins unmarked.
Size
Maximum size to 39cm SL.
Habitat
Upper continental slope from 100-1,020m, over soft bottoms.
Range
Southwestern Atlantic: Argentina to Tierra del Fuego, including the Falkland Islands.
References
Heemstra. 1990. Achiropsettidae. p. 408-413. In O. Gon and P.C. Heemstra (eds.). Fishes of the Southern Ocean. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, South Africa.
Other Notes
Mancopsetta argentina (Lahille, 1939) and Achiropsetta heterolepis (Evseenko, 1987) appear to be synonyms of this species.