Common Name
Rimspine Armored Searobin
Year Described
Fowler, 1952
Identification
Dorsal Fin: VII, 15
Anal Fin: 16
Pectoral Fin: 12 + 2 free rays
Gill Rakers: 2+18-22
Body elongate and flattened ventrally, with four rows of thick, heavy scales forming an armor-like covering. Head wide, tapering gradually rearward. Head with flattened duck-bill snout about the width of eyes and squared-off at tip. Rostral projections relatively short (~eye size), robust, and slightly divergent. Head heavily armored. Edges of snout and head with small spines and undulations. Edge of head not expanded greatly on the cheek, with large backwards pointing cheek and opercular spines. Small spine at nostril. Eye large. Interorbital distance relatively wide. Anterior edge of first body plate even with or anterior to pelvic girdle. Lip barbels numerous (5-12) in 2 clusters. Chin barbels numerous (12-18), in four clusters, and fairly short. Dominant barbel rather short but heavily branched. Dorsal fins separated: the first small and second long-based. Anal fin about the same length as dorsal fin. Pectoral fins small and fan-like with two long free rays that are used to interact/crawl along the seafloor. Pelvic fins small and widely separated under pectoral base. Caudal fin truncate.
Color
Life color unknown but likely reddish.
Size
Maximum size to 29cm SL.
Habitat
Found on soft bottoms from 115-480m.
Range
New England to Gulf of Mexico. Also reported from northern S. America to N. Brazil.
References
Miller, G.C. & W.J. Richards. 2003. Peristediidae. Armoured searobins (armoured gurnards). p. 1278-1285. In: K.E. Carpenter (ed.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae).
Teague, G.W. 1961. The armored sea-robins of America, a revision of the American species of the family Peristediidae. Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Montevideo (Serie 2) v. 7 (no. 2): 1-27, 2 pls. + Pls. 1-3.