FISHES OF NEW YORK 681 



and is much handsomer; the young are specially interesting on 

 account of the great development of their pectoral fins. 



336 Prionotus tribulus (Cuvier) 

 Big-headed Sea Bobin 



Trigla tribiiliis Citviee. Regne Anim. ed. 2, II, 161, 1829, America. 

 Prionotus tribulus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IV, 98, pi. 74, 



1829, New York; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes 48, pi. 70, fig. 226, 1842; 



GuNTHEE, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mns. II, 195, 1860; Joedan & Gilbert, Bull. 



16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 735, 1883; Joedan & Evermann, Bull. 47, *U. S. 



Nat. Mus. II, 2171, 1898. 



Pectorals rather short, not reaching end of dorsal, twice in 

 length to base of caudal; pectoral appendages thick, tapering. 

 Body robust. The depth is one fourth of the length of the body, 

 which is two and one half times the length of the head. Head 

 shorter and broader, snout shorter, and bones more strongly 

 striate than in P. e v o 1 a n s ; interorbital space deeply con- 

 cave; occipital and superorbital spines very strong and much 

 compressed; band of palatine teeth as long as eye; gill rakers 

 shortish, nine below angle; membranous edge of opercle scaly. 

 D. X-12; A. 11; Lat. 1. about 50. 



Dark brown above, with darker blotches and numerous small, 

 pale spots; belly pale; a black blotch at base of mandible; mem- 

 brane of spinous dorsal, between the third and sixth spines, with 

 a black blotch above; second dorsal with brownish spots, form- 

 ing oblique bars, and with two dark blotches at base, the pos- 

 terior blotch continued obliquely downward and forward to 

 below the lateral line; pectoral olive brown, with dark cross- 

 bars, which are more distinct toward the tip of the fin, its upper 

 edge white, pectoral appendages with dark spots; basal half of 

 caudal paler. 



This gurnard is very common on the south Atlantic coast 

 and occasionally ranges northward to Long Island. It is well 

 separated from the other sea robins of the Atlantic by the 

 greater development of the spines of the head. "The young 

 have these spines much larger and more compressed than the 

 adult, and in the very young three or four strong knifelike 



