WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Common Searobin

Prionotus ruscarius

Also known as: Flying Gurnard, Gruntfish, Gurnard, Mother-in-Law Fish, Rough Searobin

Adult
@freddymac · Troncones, Mexico · March 20231 / 2
01

Overview

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.
Juveniles found in estuaries.

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.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
wings

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Eastern Pacific
  • Country only · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly, on shallow sandy bottoms, sometimes buried in the sand, over bays, estuaries and lagoons.

04

Adult photos 2

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderPerciformes
    5. familyTriglidae
    6. genusPrionotus
    7. speciesPrionotus ruscarius Gilbert & Starks, 1904

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Searobins (Triglidae)