Common Name
Fourbeard Rockling
Year Described
Linnaeus, 1766
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 37-55 (third fin)
Anal Fin: 36-49
Pectoral Fin: 15-19
Pelvic Fin: 5-7
Gill Rakers: 5-13 (first arch)
Vertebrae: 50-56 total
Body very elongate and tapering posteriorly. Head about one fifth of standard length. Snout blunt. Upper jaw projects significantly. Teeth present on premaxilla, vomer, and dentary. Three distinct barbels on snout adjacent to anterior nostrils and one on the snout tip. A single chin barbel. There are three dorsal fins: the first a single long pseudospine that reaches beyond D3, the second a series of very short hairlike rays lacking membranes, and the third a long and low fin consisting of membrane bound segmented rays. First dorsal fin rests in a groove on top of head. Anal fin long and low with origin well behind D3. Pectoral fin large. Pelvic fin with second ray more elongated than rest. Tail rounded or truncate and separated from D3 and anal fins. Body scaled. Head naked. Lateral line interrupted and distinctly notched above front of anal fin. Pores present on head.
Color
Body brown grading to tan or whitish on the belly. Generally unmarked on body but can display large lateral blotches. A checkered brown/white pattern on lateral line. Fins are brown with a thin pale margin. Dorsal fin varies from having a single dark blotch on the posterior end to having a series of 4-5 blotches spaced along it's length. Anal fin with an elongated dark blotch near the posterior end. Lower caudal fin black. Eye dark.
Size
Maximum size to 45cm TL. Usually <35cm TL.
Habitat
Occurs in shallow to deep water based on latitude (deepest in south). Found from 0-1325m on soft or hard bottoms.
Range
North American east coast from Baffin Bay to the N. Gulf of Mexico. Also in the eastern Atlantic.
References
Coad, B.W., & J.D. Reist. 2018. Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada. University of Toronto Press. 618pp.
Other Notes
The only rockling in the area with four barbels on the head.