see text Prionotinae is a subfamily of demersal, marine ray-finned fishes, part of the family Triglidae.

This name is a compound of prion, "saw", and notus, "back", as Lacépède saw three free dorsal spines when he was describing the type species P. evolans but these were probably the result of damage to the specimen.

[4] The common names, sea robin, comes from the orange ventral surface of the species in the genus Prionotus, and from large pectoral fins which resemble a bird's wings.

[6] Prionnotinae sea robins are found off the coasts of the Americas in the eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic Oceans.

They are demersal in temperate waters, but pelagic or semi-pelagic in tropical regions where they form large schools close to the surface.