Prionotus pictus, Painted searobin

Prionotus pictus Victor, 2025

Painted searobin
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drawing shows typical species in Triglidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Scorpaenoidei (Scorpionfishes) > Triglidae (Searobins) > Prionotinae
Etymology: Prionotus: Greek, prion, -onos = saw + Greek, noton = back (Ref. 45335); pictus: Name 'pictus' from the Latin word meaning 'painted', in reference to the variegated patterns and colors and individual distribution of colors, with white markings as if splashed with paint.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal. Tropical

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southeast Pacific: Galapagos Is.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 19.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 137950)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal soft rays: 11. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: D X,12; A 11; P1 14 plus three ventral free rays; P2 I,5; first dorsal fin nearly triangular, first three spines about equal in length, second spine longest, first spine slightly shorter, third spine slighly shorter than second, anterior margin of first spine with pronounced serrations; membranes without a black spot or ocellus specifically on fourth or fifth membranes; pectoral fins fan-shaped semicircular when expanded and long, usually reaching to last third of second-dorsal-fin base or beyond when flat (but variable); snout concave, sharply rising, duck-billed profile, eyes protruding well above profile, snout broadly rounded from dorsal view, no prominent rostral extensions or spiny edges to lachrymal plate; presence of nasal cirrus, about twice length of nasal opening, no supraocular cirrus; mouth relatively small, lower jaw subterminal and without a knob; head with prominent bony plates, ridges and granulations; head spines comprising preocular, postocular, sphenotic, pterotic, parietal, nuchal, opercular, preopercular (without a supplemental spine), and a cleithral (humeral) spine over pectoral fin (rostral, preorbital, and suborbital spines absent and no postfrontal groove); scales ctenoid and small, about 48 pored lateral-line scales, about 94 vertical rows of lateral scales, nuchal and opercular-flap scales present, ventral scales extend forward just past level of anterior insertion of pelvic fins; body common brownish orange pattern to blotched in colors varying from brown to red, to a darker, almost black-and-white pattern; often bright orange ventrally; white patches like splashed paint on head and body in individual unique patterns; a line of prominent white spots highlighting some of the pored lateral-line scales; lip markings a variety of spots and bars (not a simple three dark bands on a white background, at front, middle and corner of jaw); pectoral fin with irregular spot pattern, clearest on common color form, with small rounded spots concentrated on fifth through tenth membranes, becoming reticulations on distal lowermost rays; a thick blue margin on lower 10 rays; pectoral-fin base around origin of rays with an irregular pattern (not discrete rounded spots); caudal fin with dark bars, one at base and a distal wide bar often splitting into two (dark fish can have a black striped pattern); free pectoral-fin rays thick and prominently banded. Juvenile with brown mottled color pattern and relatively longer pectoral fins, reaching past end of second dorsal fin; uniform orangish with two prominent black-edged white saddles along dorsal midline in front of and behind soft-dorsal-fin base of juveniles; and gill rakers short spiny tubercles in two rows of 11, inner and outer, on lower limb of first arch (Ref. 137950).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: oval.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Victor, B.C., 2025. Prionotus pictus, a new endemic species of searobin from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (Teleostei: Triglidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 43:12-38. (Ref. 137950)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |