Description
Also known as Flying Gurnard, Gruntfish, Gurnard, Mother-in-Law Fish.
Found singly, on shallow sandy bottoms, sometimes buried in the sand, over bays, estuaries and lagoons. More active at night hunting for food, by using their lower spines of pectoral fin like feet too feel for their prey.
They feed on invertebrates.
Juveniles found in estuaries.
Length - 36cm
Depth - 1-180m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean
Sea robins have heavily armoured, spiny heads. They have separate rays (like soft spines) on their bellies, near the Pectoral fins these spines act like legs, as the fish walks along the bottom of the ocean they use these spines to find crustaceans in the sand.
They also grunt. French term for the word Gurnard means to grunt.
They have poisonous spines on their backs. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/4030
3 comments
Posted by Captain MichaelIn Florida we call them Mother In Law fish as they look like your Mother In Law.l They eat shrimp and mullet baits.
Posted by MikeThese fish are aggressive. I caught one and had it in a livewell for a bit while I checked it out and it bit my finger pretty hard.
Posted by BeckyMy brother caught one of these Big Head Robin fish at Padre Island Padre Tx.