The reaming 3 on the head section form long spines. The foremost of which normally has a fleshy tip that the fish uses as a lure to entice it's prey. The second dorsal fin is composed of 11 to 12 fleshy membrane bound rays. Spring to early summer. The egg mass, forms large gelatinous sheets, that maybe 9m by 3m in size, floating near the surface.
Juveniles are planktonic, with noticeably elongated fin rays.
This tends to be a bottom dwelling fish found in a range of water depths, from 2 to 500m. Tending to favor sandy gravel bottoms.