Description: A relatively frequent, small scorpionfish with a reddish colouration. Large spinous head and fan-like pectoral fins. Single dorsal fin composed of spines and soft rays. Chest and pectoral fin base scaled, as well as the sides; most of the head naked. Lateral surface of preorbital bone with a strongly developed ridge ending in a knob anteriorly. Colour variable; it is mostly reddish; the head and body dark with pale areas. Small white specks near the pectoral fins.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Azores, Madeira, and Morocco to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Senegal. Also in the Mediterranean Sea. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 14.0 cm (total length); common length 10.0 cm (TL).
Behavioural ecology: Usually lies immobile on the bottom, with an occasional swimming burst. Generally solitary, but several individuals may be found nearby.
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 20 - 40 m.
Canary Islands (Brito et al. 2002): ? - 60 m; more frequent ? - 30 m.
Habitat: Demersal. Inhabits shallow coastal waters, rocky areas and favours habitats with generous brown algal growth, rocky depressions and ledges and small boulders.
Feeding habits: Feeds on crustaceans and small fishes.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.1
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species. Commercially it is not distinguished from other Scorpaena spp.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Brito A., Pascual P.J., Falcón J.M., Sancho A., González G. (2002). Peces de las islas Canarias. Catálogo comentado e ilustrado. Francisco Lemos Editor, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, 418 pp.
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
Eschmeyer W.N. (1969). A Systematic Review of the Scorpionfishes of the Atlantic Ocean (Pisces: Scorpaenidae). Occasioinal Papers of the California Academy of Sciences, 79: i-iv + 1-143.
González J., Hernández C., Marrero P., Rapp E. (2000). Peces de Canarias: GuÃa Submarina (5th edition). Francisco Lemus Editor, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias, Spain, 235 pp.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Morato T., Afonso P., Lourinho P., Barreiros J.P., Santos R.S., Nash R.D.M. (2001). Length–weight relationships for 21 coastal fish species of the Azores, north-eastern Atlantic. Fisheries Research, 50(3): 297-302.
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
