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Sunday 11 November 2012

Armored Sea Robin

The armored robin resembles the sea robins in general body form, and in the arrangement of its fins, including the fact that the two lower rays of each pectoral form separate feelers. But its body is entirely clothed with bony plates of considerable size. There are 4 rows of these on each side, from the vent rearward, with an equal number of rows of thornlike spines, the latter close set and directed rearward. The plates on the abdomen have no spines. Thanks to this armor, the trunk is very stiff. The lower jaw bears a number of short fleshy barbels; there is one long barbel with short side branches at each corner of the mouth (the sea robins have no barbels); and the front of its head is given so peculiar an appearance by the two projections from the skull that the armored robin could hardly be mistaken for any other fish, except for one of its own tribe.