Striped searobin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Striped searobin |
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The striped searobin (Prionotus evolans) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It belongs to a group of fish called sea robins. You can find this fish in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean.
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What is a Striped Searobin?
The striped searobin has a big, deep head. It doesn't have any small, whisker-like growths (called cirrhi) near its nose or eyes. Its mouth is quite large and can open wide, reaching almost to the front of its eye. The lower jaw is slightly set back.
How to Identify a Striped Searobin
This fish has two separate dorsal fins on its back. The first fin has 10 stiff spines, and the second has 12 soft rays. Its anal fin on the underside has 10 soft rays.
The pectoral fins, which are like wings on the side of the fish, are rounded. They have 13 to 14 rays inside their main part. These fins are quite long, reaching almost to the end of the anal fin. What's special is that the bottom three rays of the pectoral fin are separate from the rest of the fin. They can move freely!
The body of the striped searobin is covered in scales.
Size and Appearance
Striped searobins can grow up to about 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) long. However, they are usually around 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) long. The heaviest one recorded weighed about 1.6 kilograms (around 3.5 pounds).
Their color can be reddish or olive brown. They have a thin dark stripe running along their side, called the lateral line. Another dark stripe runs parallel to it on their lower body. The pectoral fins have many wavy, dark vertical lines. The inner part of the fin often has a dark patch. There's also a dark spot on the first dorsal fin, between the fourth and fifth spines.
Where Do Striped Searobins Live?
The striped searobin lives in the western Atlantic Ocean. You can find them from Nova Scotia in Canada, all the way down the Atlantic coast of the United States to southeastern Florida. They are also found around Bermuda. It's rare to see them north of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Their Ocean Home
These fish usually live at depths between 9 and 180 meters (about 30 to 590 feet). Most often, they are found between 20 and 70 meters (about 65 to 230 feet) deep. They prefer sandy areas, from river mouths (estuaries) to deeper offshore waters. Sometimes, they can be found near reefs, but not very often.
How Do Striped Searobins Live?
Striped searobins use those special free rays on their pectoral fins to move things around and to find food. They use a sense called chemoreception, which is like smelling or tasting the water, to detect their prey.
What Do They Eat?
Searobins have a bony, square-shaped head. They use this head to dig small prey out of the sand or mud. They eat a wide variety of things! Their diet includes:
- Crabs and shrimp (crustaceans)
- Squid and octopus (cephalopods)
- Snails (gastropods)
- Clams and oysters (bivalves)
- Small crustaceans called amphipods
- Fish eggs
- Other small fish
- Even seaweed!
Younger searobins tend to eat more tiny crustaceans called copepods.
Uses of the Striped Searobin
The striped searobin is sometimes caught for food, but it's not a major commercial fish. It's also a popular game fish for people who enjoy fishing for sport. Sometimes, it's even used as bait to catch other fish.
