Hemitripterus americanus

Sea raven
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Hemitripteridae
Genus: Hemitripterus
Species: H. americanus
Binomial name
Hemitripterus americanus
(Gmelin, 1789)
Synonyms

Cottus acadian Walbaum, 1792
Cottus hispidus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Cottus tripterygius Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Hemitripterus acadianus Storer, 1855
Hemitripterus americanus Cuvier, 1829
Scorpaena americana Gmelin, 1789
Scorpaena americana Lacepède, 1801
Scorpaena flava Mitchill, 1815
Scorpaena purpurea Mitchill, 1818
Scorpaena rufa Mitchill, 1818

Hemitripterus americanus, commonly known as the sea raven, is a species of fish belonging to the family Hemitripteridae.

Description

The sea raven is quite different in body structure from other common sculpins. Members of the species generally grow to be 18 to 20 inches long, although the largest on record was 25 inches. The most distinctive feature of the sea raven is its fleshy tabs along the head, ridged outline of the first dorsal fin, and rugged skin. The species varies in color, as it can be dark red, reddish purple, yellowing brown, or dark brown on top, although its underbelly is always pale.

Distribution and habitat

Atlantic Coast of North America, southward to Chesapeake Bay; north to Anticosti in the northern side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the Strait of Belle Isle on the Newfoundland side and to the Grand Banks.

References

Evermann. "Sea Raven." GMA. Gulf of Marine Research Institute. Web. 11 Mar. 2015. <http://www.gma.org/fogm/Hemitripterus_americanus.htm>

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