horned searobin
Bellator militaris
Small searobin of bays, estuaries and the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, whose males have very long dorsal spines.
Also called: cabrinha-cornuda, rubio soldadito, horned searobin
- maximum
- 12 cm
- depth
- 40–110 m
who is the horned searobin
Searobin of the family Triglidae, reaching 12.5 cm. It lives in bays and estuaries down to the middle shelf, between 40 and 110 m, on demersal bottoms. It occurs from North Carolina to southern Florida, and in the northern Gulf of Mexico to Yucatán. In Latin America it appears only in Mexico. Males have the first dorsal fin spines extremely long, reaching the tip of the tail. It is fished commercially, but is rarely seen on rod.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the horned searobin; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Large, armored head with bony plates and spines, like the other searobins. The most striking feature is in the males: the first dorsal fin spines are extremely long and reach the tip of the tail. The body is spindle-shaped, common among searobins. The blackwing searobin (Prionotus rubio), from the same region, reaches 30 cm, much more than the 12.5 cm of this species.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it occurs only in Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico, down to Yucatán.
Habitat: Bays, estuaries and middle shelf, 40 to 110 m, on demersal bottoms.
rules for the horned searobin
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It poses no danger to the angler: it has no venom glands, but the head spines call for care when handling it.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 2.98; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Bellator militaris (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Bellator militarisNames by country and language.
