Spotted gurnard
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 Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
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| Pterygotrigla picta (Günther, 1880) |
The spotted gurnard, Pterygotrigla picta, is a searobin of the family Triglidae, found in the Indo-Pacific oceans at depths between 200 and 500 m. Its length is up to 35 cm.
The spotted gurnard has a wedge shaped head and round tapering body, similar in appearance to the bluefin gurnard Chelidonichthys kumu but with larger, more prominent eyes. On the head and operculum the bony armour has a number of large prominent spines. The pectoral fin 'fan' is brown with lines of yellow spots.
The body is pink-yellow above with numerous small black spots, and white beneath, and blends well with the open sand that is the usual habitat. Spotted gurnards eat shellfish, crustaceans and worms from sandy bottoms, which they expose whilst delving using their bony snout.
[edit] References
- "Pterygotrigla picta". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
