Tassled Scorpionfish

Q: Where can you find Tassled Scorpionfish?

Tassled Scorpionfish can be found in: Egypt East, Laccadive Islands, Mariana Islands, Saudi Arabia West, Malaysia East, Taiwan, Australia North, Malaysia West, Somalia East, Vanuatu, Sudan, Brunei, China, Myanmar, Eritrea, Australia, Hong Kong, Kenya, India, Israel, Japan South, India East, India West, Thailand West, Israel South, Indo-Pacific West, Oman, Oman East, Somalia North, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Vietnam, Seychelles, Indo-Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Tanzania, Malaysia, South Africa, Red Sea, Japan, Indonesia, Chagos Islands, Mozambique, Jordan, Palau, Philippines, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Micronesia, Egypt, Yemen, Mascarene Islands, Madagascar, Djibouti, Comoros, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Somalia.

Scorpaenopsis oxycephala

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400 m

Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, is a carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Other names: Small-scaled Scorpionfish.

Description

It can reach a maximum length of 36 cm (14 in) and can vary considerably in color. Adults are bearded with a number of tassels below the jaw. Juveniles are slender with tall dorsal fin. Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5. Third dorsal spine longest (2.05-2.5) in head; occipital pit absent or very shallow; snout very long (2.7-3.0 in head length); space between opercular spines naked; first dorsal spine short (1.85-2.5) in length of second spine; supraocular and postocular spines broadly joined in adults (only tip of supraocular spine showing) and flaring outward to form a shelf over posterior half of eye.

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and Sodwana Bay, South Africa to the Mariana Islands, north to Taiwan; Palau and Guam in Micronesia.

Habitat

They inhabit reef slopes from only 1 to 35 meters. When in shallow waters, swimmers may accidentally tread on them which may cause painful injury from the venomous spines.