Main identification features
- snout hard, long, blunt point, triangular
- back thorns: eyes, 1 midback, central row behind pelvics
- underside smooth
- pelvic - weakly concave rear edge
Rhomboidal disc of flattened, pointed head, body and pectoral fins; front edges of disc straight; snout hard, long, bluntly pointed, triangular; pelvic fins with 2 distinct lobes, rear one large, with a weak notch; large spiracles behind eyes; snout rigid; spines on rear borders only of ventral side; 2 small dorsal fins at rear of tail, no tail fin; spines around eyes (buried in skin in large fish), none on shoulders, 1 on mid-back, a central row from (or behind) pelvic fins backward along tail; large adults with small denticles on upper surface; undersurface smooth.
Upper surface grey, brown, red-brown to black; often with rosettes of white spots, dark mottling and two prominent eyespots; lower surface pale, sometimes with dark blotches.
Size: 244 cm.
Habitat: soft bottom.
Depth: 1-800 m.
Alaska to Baja and the western Gulf of California.
Attributes
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California); Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap).
Depth Range Max: 800 m.
Depth Range Min: 1 m.
Diet: mobile benthic worms; mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs); mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves; octopus/squid/cuttlefish; bony fishes.
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=56; Southern limit=24; Western limit=-134; Eastern limit=-110; Latitudinal range=32; Longitudinal range=24.
Egg Type: Benthic; No pelagic larva; No pelagic phase.
Feeding Group: Carnivore.
FishBase Habitat: Demersal.
Global Endemism: East Pacific endemic; TEP non-endemic; All species.
Habitat: Sand & gravel; Mud; Soft bottom (mud, sand,gravel, beach, estuary & mangrove); Soft bottom only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Listed; Near threatened.
Length Max: 244 cm.
Regional Endemism: Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic; California province, primarily; Continent only; Continent; Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily; All species.
Residency: Vagrant.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;
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