680 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The red-winged sea robin is distinguished from the striped 

 sea robin by the following" characters: pectoral with its rays 

 each crossed by fine black bars, these specially distinct toward 

 the base of the fin; free rays spotted; scales comparatively 

 small, 10+1+23 in a vertical line from last dorsal spine to vent; 

 interorbital'area broad and almost flat, its width a little more 

 than length of eye; first dorsal spine granulated; seco'nd spine 

 four elevenths length of head; pectorals about one half as long 

 as body. 



In the striped sea robin the pectoral rays are all plain black- 

 ish; free rays plain dusky; scales 8+1+21 in a vertical line from 

 last dorsal spine to vent; interorbital space more deeply con- 

 cave, its width in adult not quite length of eye; first dorsal 

 spine nearly smooth; second spine one third length of head; 

 pectorals a little more than one half as long as body. 



This fish is found on our Atlantic coast from Cape Cod to 

 Virginia. It is very common in shallow water and is extremely 

 close to Prionotus e v o 1 a n s , of which it may be a geo- 

 graphic variety. Drs Jordan and Everrnann have not however 

 seen examples intermediate between the striped sea robin and 

 the red-winged species. This fish is the Prionotus line- 

 a t u s of De Kay. 1 De Kay distinguishes this fish, which he 

 calls the banded gurnard, by the broad, reddish brown line along 

 the sides below the lateral line, as well as by other characters. 

 He says it is not uncommon and is known under the various 

 popular names, grunter, gurnard, sea robin and flying fish. He 

 states that the banded gurnard is seldom eaten as food. This 

 is also the gurnard or sea robin, T r i g 1 a 1 i n e a t a , of 

 Mitchill in the Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 430, pi. 4, fig. 4. 

 1815. 



The red-winged sea robin comes into Gravesend bay in May, 

 but later than the common species. It was found more abun- 

 dantly in Great South bay than the unstriped species. Indi- 

 viduals were taken in Plne Point cove, and at Fire Island, late 

 in September. This fish grows larger than the other species 



'New York Fauna, Fishes. 1842. p. 45, pi. 4, fig. 12. 



