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Scorpionfish

Fish · Least Concern

Scorpionfish

Scorpaenopsis oxycephala

About

Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, the tasseled or small-scaled scorpionfish, is a venomous marine ray-finned fish of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. Widely distributed across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it is the largest species in its genus.

Family
Scorpaenidae
Avg size
25-35 cm
Habitat
Its broad Indo-Pacific range runs from the Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay in South Africa and across the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf east to New Guinea, south to Australia and north to Taiwan and probably the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. In Australian waters it occurs on the Northwest Shelf off Western Australia, at Cartier Island in the Timor Sea, on the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland and at Christmas Island, and it has also been reported from False Bay in South Africa. It inhabits reef slopes from just 1 to 35 metres deep.
Behaviour
This is a solitary, nocturnal ambush predator that feeds on fishes and crustaceans. In shallow water, swimmers can accidentally step on one and suffer a painful sting from its venomous spines. Its vibrant orange colours and markings give it excellent camouflage among the rocky reefs.

Where & when

Where & When to See It

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