314 BULLETIN OF THE BUBEAU OF FISHERIES 
172. Prionotus carolinus (Linnaeus). Sea robin; Gurnard; Flying fish. 
Trigla Carolina Linnseus, Mantissa Plantarum, Part II, 1771, p. 528; Carolina. 
Prionotus carolinus Uhler and Lugger, 1876, ed. I, p. 103; ed. II, p. 86; Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2156, PI. 
CCCXVIII, fig. 768; Smith and Bean, 1899, p. 187; Evermann and Hildebrand, 1910, p. 163. 
Head 2.8 to 3.1; depth 4.15 to 5.15; D. X-13; A. I, 11; scales 100 to 107. Body rather robust, 
a little broader than deep under spinous dorsal, round or slightly compressed posteriorly; head 
moderately large, depressed; snout broad, its length 2 to 2.3 in head; eye 3 to 5; interorbital deeply 
concave, 7 to 9.3; mouth rather small, horizontal; lower jaw included; maxillary failing notably to 
reach eye, 1.75 to 2.6 in head, 1.2 to 1.3 in snout; teeth small, in villiform bands in each jaw; gill 
rakers slender, 10 to 13 on lower limb of first arch; scales small, ctenoid; striations and spines on head 
moderately developed; no spine at center of radiations on cheek; preopercular spine scarcely reaching 
base of humeral spine; serrations on margin of snout small; a shallow furrow with a backward curve 
across cranium, just posterior to the eyes; dorsal fins separate, the first composed of rather short 
slender spines, the third one the longest, 2 to 2.45 in head, scarcely longer than the longest rays 
of the second dorsal, not reaching past the tips of the posterior spines nor to origin of second dorsal 
when deflexed; caudal fin with rather deeply concave margin in adult, nearly straight in young; 
anal fin similar to second dorsal; ventral fins moderately developed, inserted under and posterior 
to bases of pectorals, reaching a little past origin of anal; pectoral fins rather short, reaching opposite 
base of sixth anal ray, 2.35 to 3.55 in body, the detached rays expanded at tips. 
Color variable, usually grayish or reddish brown above, pale underneath; back with about 
five dark saddlelike blotches; young usually with small dark spots in addition to the large saddle- 
like blotches; dorsal fins more or less grayish, marked with pale spots and stripes, spinous dorsal 
with a black spot between the fourth and fifth spines; caudal fin uniform, grayish or brownish; 
anal and ventrals pale; pectorals brownish to blackish, sometimes spotted with darker markings. 
Color in life (based on eight fish, 8 to 12 inches long, observed in the aquarium at Woods Hole, 
Mass.) greenish to brownish above; white underneath; 3, 4, or 5 obscure, dark, irregularly-spaced, 
saddlelike blotches on back; head marked with orange; branchiostegals and throat with prominent 
dusky markings; dorsal fins pale to grayish, with irregular, brownish, longitudinal streaks; a 
prominent black spot on first dorsal on the membrane between the fourth and fifth spines; caudal 
brown, margin not pale; anal pale brown, without pale margin; ventrals pale yellow to brown; 
pectorals yellow or orange, with two broad dusky bars, one crossing middle of fin and the other 
on outer third, fin without brown wavy lines; pectoral filaments orange. 
Many specimens of this species, ranging in length from 40 to 170 millimeters (1^ to 6 24 inches), 
were preserved. This species is recognized by its rather small mouth, robust body, short and 
blunt spines about the head, margin of caudal concave, and the dark saddlelike blotches on the 
back. 
The food of this sea robin, as shown by 18 specimens taken in Chesapeake Bay, consists prin- 
cipally of crustaceans, which may be named in the order of their apparent importance, as follows: 
Mysis, amphipods, isopods, shrimp, and small crabs. One individual had fed on annelids and 
another on a small fish. 
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