Description: A relatively frequent, medium-sized scorpionfish. Large spinous head and fan-like pectoral fins. The scales are arranged in a characteristic fashion, forming regular hexagons. Occipital pit well developed (cavity on the upper scull, behind the eyes, with some sensory function). Skin appendages well developed, including supraocular tentacles. Presents a variety of colours, including brown, red, orange and yellow. Fins mottled or spotted with brown. Three vertical bars on the caudal fin.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: British Isles to the Canary Islands, including Morocco, Madeira, and the Azores; the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 37.0 cm (total length); common length 15.0 cm (TL); maximum published weight 870.0 g.
Depth range: FishBase: ? - 800 m.
Canary Islands (Gonzalez et al. 2000): frequent from surface waters to 200 m depth.
Habitat: Demersal. Common among rocks and algae.
Feeding habits: Feeds on small fishes (gobies, blennies), crustaceans and other invertebrates.
Trophic level: FishBase: 3.9
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
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
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.
