Sea robins, also known as gurnard, are bottom-feeding scorpaeniform fishes in the family Triglidae. They get their name from their large pectoral fins, which, when swimming, open and close like a bird's wings in flight.

They are bottom dwelling fish, living at depths of up to 200 m (660 ft). Most species are around 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) in length. They have an unusually solid skull, and many species also possess armored plates on the body. Another distinctive feature is the presence of a "drumming muscle" that makes sounds by beating against the swim bladder.^[1] When caught, they make a croaking noise similar to a frog.

Sea robins have six spiny "legs", three on each side. These legs are actually flexible spines that were once part of the pectoral fin. Over time, the spines separated themselves from the rest of the fin, developing into feeler-like "forelegs." The pelvic fins have been thought to let the fish "walk" on the bottom, but are really used to stir up food. The first three rays of the pectoral fins are membrane free and used for chemoreception.

Sea robins have sharp spines on their gill plates and dorsal fins that inject a mild poison, causing slight pain for two to three days.

As food

Sea robin flesh is described as firm and tender when cooked. The fish serves as an adequate replacement to rascasse, or scorpionfish, in bouillabaisse.

Angling

Sea robins are known as rough fish, and are often caught when fishing for more desirable fish such as striped bass. They can be caught by casting meat near the seafloor, where they actively feed. Mackerel is believed to be the most efficient bait for catching sea robins, but bunker and other fish meat can also be used successfully. Sea robins can also be caught by lure fishing if lured near the substrate. They may put up a fight when caught. Many anglers will leave these fish to die on land out of dislike.^{[citation needed]}

Species

There are 114 species in eight genera:

Streamer searobin, Bellator egretta

Horned searobin, Bellator militaris

• Genus Bellator
  • Shortfin searobin, Bellator brachychir Regan, 1914.
  • Streamer searobin, Bellator egretta Goode & Bean, 1896.
  • Bellator farrago Richards & McCosker, 1998.
  • Naked-belly searobin, Bellator gymnostethus (Gilbert, 1892).
  • Barred searobin, Bellator loxias (Jordan, 1897).
  • Horned searobin, Bellator militaris Goode & Bean, 1896.
  • Bellator ribeiroi Miller, 1965.
  • Splitnose searobin, Bellator xenisma' Jordan & Bollman, 1890.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Gurnard.

• Genus Chelidonichthys
  • Cape gurnard, Chelidonichthys capensis Cuvier, 1829.
  • Red gurnard, Chelidonichthys cuculus Linnaeus, 1758.
  • Gabon gurnard, Chelidonichthys gabonensis Poll & Roux, 1955.
  • Chelidonichthys ischyrus Jordan & Thompson, 1914.
  • Bluefin gurnard, Chelidonichthys kumu Cuvier, 1829.
  • Tub gurnard, Chelidonichthys lucerna Linnaeus, 1758.
  • Longfin gurnard, Chelidonichthys obscurus Bloch & Schneider, 1801.
  • Lesser gurnard, Chelidonichthys queketti Regan, 1904.
  • Spiny red gurnard, Chelidonichthys spinosus Gomon, 1987.
• Genus Eutrigla
  • Grey gurnard, Eutrigla gurnardus Linnaeus, 1758.

Eastern spiny gurnard, Lepidotrigla pleuracanthica

• Genus Lepidotrigla
  • Lepidotrigla abyssalis Jordan & Starks, 1904.
  • Lepidotrigla alata Houttuyn, 1782.
  • Lepidotrigla alcocki Regan, 1908.
  • Lepidotrigla annamarae del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Long-finned gurnard, Lepidotrigla argus Ogilby, 1910.
  • Lepidotrigla argyrosoma Fowler, 1938.
  • Twohorn gurnard, Lepidotrigla bentuviai Richards & Saksena, 1977.
  • Bullhorn gurnard, Lepidotrigla bispinosa Steindachner, 1898.
  • Scaly gurnard, Lepidotrigla brachyoptera Hutton, 1872.
  • Scalebreast gurnard, Lepidotrigla cadmani Regan, 1915.
  • Lepidotrigla calodactyla Ogilby, 1910.
  • Carol's gurnard, Lepidotrigla carolae Richards, 1968.
  • Large-scaled gurnard, Lepidotrigla cavillone (Lacépède, 1801).
  • Lepidotrigla deasoni Herre & Kauffman, 1952.
  • Spiny gurnard, Lepidotrigla dieuzeidei Blanc & Hureau, 1973.
  • Lepidotrigla eydouxii Sauvage, 1878.
  • Scalybreast gurnard, Lepidotrigla faurei Gilchrist & Thompson, 1914.
  • Supreme gurnard, Lepidotrigla grandis Ogilby, 1910.
  • Lepidotrigla guentheri Hilgendorf, 1879.
  • Lepidotrigla hime Matsubara & Hiyama, 1932.
  • Lepidotrigla japonica Bleeker, 1854.
  • Lepidotrigla jimjoebob Richards, 1992.
  • Lepidotrigla kanagashira Kamohara, 1936.
  • Lepidotrigla kishinouyi Snyder, 1911.
  • Lepidotrigla larsoni del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Lepidotrigla lepidojugulata Li, 1981.
  • Lepidotrigla longifaciata Yatou, 1981.
  • Lepidotrigla longimana Li, 1981.
  • Lepidotrigla longipinnis Alcock, 1890.
  • Lepidotrigla macrobrachia Fowler, 1938.
  • Lepidotrigla marisinensis Fowler, 1938.
  • Lepidotrigla microptera Günther, 1873.
  • Grooved gurnard, Lepidotrigla modesta Waite, 1899.
  • Rough-snouted gurnard, Lepidotrigla mulhalli Macleay, 1884.
  • Indian Ocean spiny gurnard, Lepidotrigla multispinosa Smith, 1934.
  • Lepidotrigla musorstom del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Lepidotrigla nana del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Lepidotrigla oglina Fowler, 1938.
  • Oman gurnard, Lepidotrigla omanensis Regan, 1905.
  • Australian spiny gurnard, Lepidotrigla papilio Cuvier, 1829.
  • Lepidotrigla pectoralis Fowler, 1938.
  • Eastern spiny gurnard, Lepidotrigla pleuracanthica Richardson, 1845.
  • Lepidotrigla punctipectoralis Fowler, 1938.
  • Lepidotrigla robinsi Richards, 1997.
  • Lepidotrigla russelli del Cerro & Lloris, 1995.
  • Lepidotrigla sayademalha Richards, 1992.
  • Lepidotrigla sereti del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Spotwing gurnard, Lepidotrigla spiloptera Günther, 1880.
  • Lepidotrigla spinosa Gomon, 1987.
  • Lepidotrigla umbrosa Ogilby, 1910.
  • Butterfly gurnard, Lepidotrigla vanessa Richardson, 1839.
  • Lepidotrigla vaubani del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Lepidotrigla venusta Fowler, 1938.

Spiny searobin, Prionotus alatus

Bean's searobin, Prionotus beanii

• Genus Prionotus
  • Spiny searobin, Prionotus alatus Houttuyn, 1782.
  • Whitesnout searobin, Prionotus albirostris Jordan & Bollman, 1890.
  • Bean's searobin, Prionotus beanii Goode, 1896.
  • Two-beaked searobin, Prionotus birostratus Richardson, 1844.
  • Northern searobin, Prionotus carolinus Linnaeus, 1771.
  • Striped searobin, Prionotus evolans Linnaeus, 1766.
  • Bristly searobin, Prionotus horrens Richardson, 1844.
  • Bigeye searobin, Prionotus longispinosus Teague, 1951.
  • Gulf of Mexico barred searobin, Prionotus martis] Ginsburg, 1950.
  • Galapagos gurnard, Prionotus miles] Jenyns, 1840.
  • Prionotus murielae Mowbray, 1928.
  • Red searobin, Prionotus nudigula Ginsburg, 1950.
  • Bandtail searobin, Prionotus ophryas Jordan & Swain, 1885.
  • Mexican searobin, Prionotus paralatus Ginsburg, 1950.
  • Bluewing searobin, [Prionotus punctatus Bloch, 1793.
  • Bluespotted searobin, Prionotus roseus Jordan & Evermann, 1887.
  • Blackwing searobin, Prionotus rubio Jordan, 1886.
  • Common searobin, Prionotus ruscarius] Gilbert & Starks, 1904.
  • Leopard searobin, Prionotus scitulus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882.
  • Shortwing searobin, Prionotus stearnsi Jordan & Swain, 1885.
  • Lumptail searobin, Prionotus stephanophrys Lockington, 1881.
  • Long-ray searobin, Prionotus teaguei Briggs, 1956.
  • Bighead searobin, Prionotus tribulus Cuvier, 1829.

Wikispecies has information related to: Triglidae

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Triglidae

• Genus Pterygotrigla
  • Pterygotrigla acanthomoplate Fowler, 1938.
  • Pterygotrigla andertoni Waite, 1910.
  • Mauritius gurnard, Pterygotrigla guezei Fourmanoir, 1963.
  • Blackspotted gurnard, Pterygotrigla hemisticta Temminck & Schlegel, 1843.
  • Pterygotrigla hoplites Fowler, 1938.
  • Black-finned gurnard, Pterygotrigla leptacanthus (Günther, 1880).
  • Pterygotrigla macrolepidota Kamohara, 1938.
  • Pterygotrigla macrorhynchus Fowler, 1938.
  • Pterygotrigla megalops Fowler, 1938.
  • Antrorse spined gurnard, Pterygotrigla multiocellata Matsubara, 1937.
  • Pterygotrigla multipunctata Yatou & Yamakawa, 1983.
  • Yellow spotted gurnard, Pterygotrigla pauli Hardy, 1982.
  • Spotted gurnard, Pterygotrigla picta Günther, 1880.
  • Latchet, Pterygotrigla polyommata Richardson, 1839.
  • Pterygotrigla robertsi del Cerro & Lloris, 1997.
  • Pterygotrigla ryukyuensis Matsubara & Hiyama, 1932.
  • Pterygotrigla spirai Golani & Baranes, 1997.
  • Pterygotrigla tagala Herre & Kauffman, 1952.
• Genus Trigla
  • Piper gurnard, Trigla lyra Linnaeus, 1758.
• Genus Trigloporus
  • Streaked gurnard, Trigloporus lastoviza (Bonnaterre, 1788).

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Triglidae" in FishBase. February 2006 version.