Chevron Searobin, Bellator loxias

Chevron Searobin, Bellator loxias. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, June 2009. Length: 11 cm (4.3 inches).

The Chevron Searobin, Bellator loxias, is a member of the Searobin or Triglidae Family, that is also known as the Barred Searobin and in Mexico as vaca angelita. Globally, there are eight species in the genus Bellator, of which six are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and three in the Pacific Ocean.

The Chevron Searobin has a rectangular block-like body that are mottled reddish brown with white undersides. Their large square bony head is covered with many ridges and spines. Their anal and pelvic fins are transparent, their caudal fin has three dark chevron bars, their first dorsal fin is clear with brown dots and a prominent ocellus spot between the fourth and fifth dorsal spines, their second dorsal fin has 2 or 3 dusky stripes, and their pectoral fins are red. They have a series of diagonal red and yellow bars on their upper sides, giving rise to their common name. Their mouth is small and their jaw does not reach eye level. Their snout has a pair of very short snout plates on each side of the snout tip. Their anal fin has 11 rays; their first dorsal fin has 10 or 11 spines with the first being the longest and serrated; their second dorsal fin has 10 or 11 rays; and, their pectoral fins are short, but reach the anal fin origin, and have 2 or 3 free detached rays. Their body is covered with rough scales.

The Chevron Searobin is found over and within sandy and muddy bottoms at depths between 20 m (65 feet) and 60 m (190 feet). They are more active and feed at night; during the day they are found submerged in sand.  They reach a maximum of 15.0 cm (5.9 inches) in length. The Chevron Searobin The Checkered Puffer is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Chevron Searobin is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from Guerrero Negro, Baja California northward along the central and northwest coasts of Baja.

The Chevron Searobin is most likely confused with the Nakedbelly Searobin, Bellator gymnostethus (short first dorsal spine) or the Splitnose Searobin, Bellator xenisma (snout with long plates).

From a conservation perspective the  Chevron Searobin is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. Due to their size and rarity they are of limited interest to most. They are a frequent by-catch of deepwater shrimp trawlers around the tip of Baja.