A BIG-HEADED GURNARD 



HENRY W. FOWLER 



The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 



Big-Headed Gurnard 



Photograph by S. A. Scrimshaw 



The accompanying photograph, evi- 

 dently that of the big-headed gurnard 

 (Prionotus tribulus), represents a species 

 very abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and occasionally found northward on our 

 Atlantic coast to Long Island. I have 

 never met with it in the northern part 

 of its range or seen it among the multi- 

 tudes of gurnards or sea-robins examined 

 along the New Jersey, Delaware, Mary- 

 land and Virginia coasts. On these 

 shores, however, we have a very corn- 

 man allied gurnard or sea-robin, in the 

 long-finned species, Prionotus strigatiis. 

 The chief distinction, and it appears clear- 



ly in the photograph, is the presence of 

 a small thorn or spine at the centre of 

 radiating lines, or striae, on the cheek 

 bone directly below the front of the eye. 

 Both fishes are beautifully colored when 

 alive, and the waved dark lines on the 

 large pectoral fins give most pleasing 

 effects. 



The subject of the photograph was 

 caught by Mr. S. A. Scrimshaw, at Pen- 

 sacola, Florida, and was about a foot in 

 length. It is described as vicious and 

 tenacious of life, living five hours after 

 removal from the water. The water in 

 which it was caught was 22 feet deep. 



