Scorpaena is a widespread genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes.
Taxonomy Scorpaena was first described as a genus in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th Edition of his Systema Naturae. In 1876 Pieter Bleeker designated S. porcus as the type species of the genus. The genus name is based on the Greek word for a scorpion, skorpaina, an allusion to the venomous spines Linnaeus mentioned in his description of S. scrofa.
Species The 65 recognized species in this genus are:
Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Scorpaena afuerae Hildebrand, 1946 Peruvian scorpionfish southeast Pacific Scorpaena agassizii Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896 longfin scorpionfish North Carolina, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern South America Scorpaena albifimbria Evermann & M. C. Marsh, 1900 coral scorpionfish southern Florida, USA and the Bahamas to Curaçao and probably northern South America Scorpaena angolensis Norman, 1935 Angola rockfishMauritania to Angola, including Cape Verde Scorpaena annobonae Eschmeyer, 1969 on rough bottom at Annobon Island Scorpaena ascensionis Eschmeyer, 1971 Southeast Atlantic Scorpaena azorica Eschmeyer, 1969 Northeastern Atlantic region in European waters Scorpaena bergii Evermann & M. C. Marsh, 1900 goosehead scorpionfish Bermuda, New York to Florida (USA), Bahamas, and Mexico to northern South America Scorpaena brachyptera Eschmeyer, 1965 shortfin scorpionfishsouthern Florida in USA and Panama to Venezuela Scorpaena brasiliensis G. Cuvier, 1829 BarbfishVirginia, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil Scorpaena brevispina Motomura & Senou, 2008 Japanese shortspined scorpionfish Japan Scorpaena bulacephala Motomura, Last & Yearsley, 2005 bullhead scorpionfishNorfolk Island and off Lord Howe Island, in the northern Tasman Sea. Scorpaena calcarata Goode & T. H. Bean, 1882 smooth-head scorpionfish Canada to North Carolina, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil Scorpaena canariensis (Sauvage, 1878 Canary Islands and Madeira Island Scorpaena cardinalis Solander & J. Richardson, 1842 eastern red scorpionfishnorthern New Zealand and offshore islands of the Tasman Sea Scorpaena cocosensis Motomura, 2004 Cocos Island and Galápagos Scorpaena colorata (C. H. Gilbert, 1905) Hawaiian Islands Scorpaena dispar Longley & Hildebrand, 1940 hunchback scorpionfish Florida and northern Gulf of Mexico in USA to Brazil Scorpaena elachys Eschmeyer, 1965 dwarf scorpionfishFlorida in USA and Antilles Scorpaena elongata Cadenat, 1943 slender rockfishMediterranean Sea and Morocco to off northern Namibia Scorpaena fernandeziana Steindachner, 1875 Desventuradas Is. and Juan Fernández Is. Scorpaena gasta Motomura, Last & Yearsley, 2006 ghostly scorpionfish Western Australia Scorpaena grandicornis G. Cuvier, 1829 plumed scorpionfish Bermuda, Florida (USA), and Honduras to southern Brazil Scorpaena grandisquamis J. D. Ogilby, 1910 bigscale scorpionfishAustralia Scorpaena grattanica Trunov, 2006 Grattan Bank, Ascension Island Scorpaena guttata Girard, 1854 California scorpionfish Santa Cruz in central California, USA to Punta Abreojos, Baja California; including northern Gulf of California and Guadalupe Island in Mexico Scorpaena hatizyoensis Matsubara, 1943 Hachijôjima, Japan Scorpaena hemilepidota Fowler, 1938 Philippines Scorpaena histrio Jenyns, 1840 player scorpionfishMazatlán, Sonora, Mexico to Chile, from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Galapagos Islands Scorpaena inermis G. Cuvier, 1829 mushroom scorpionfish Florida (USA), Bahamas, and Yucatan (Mexico) to Curaçao Scorpaena isthmensis Meek & Hildebrand, 1928 smooth-cheek scorpionfish South Carolina, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil Scorpaena izensis D. S. Jordan & Starks, 1904 Izu scorpionfishIndo-West Pacific Scorpaena jacksoniensis Steindachner, 1866 coastal water of eastern Australia, from southern Queensland to Victoria Scorpaena lacrimata J. E. Randall & D. W. Greenfield, 2004 Tahiti Scorpaena laevis Troschel, 1866 Senegalese rockfishMauritania to Pointe Noire, Congo and including the Azores, and Cape Verde Scorpaena loppei Cadenat, 1943 Cadenat's rockfish Morocco, Mauritania, Portugal, Atlantic coast of Spain, Cyprus and the Mediterranean Scorpaena maderensis Valenciennes, 1833 Madeira rockfish Azores, Madeira, and Morocco to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Senegal Scorpaena melasma Eschmeyer, 1965 Suriname and off Brazil Scorpaena mellissii Günther, 1868 Melliss's scorpionfishSt. Helena Scorpaena miostoma Günther, 1877 Chiba Prefecture, Japan to Pusan, South Korea Scorpaena mystes D. S. Jordan & Starks, 1895 Pacific spotted scorpionfish California, USA to northern Chile, including the Galápagos Islands Scorpaena neglecta Temminck & Schlegel, 1843 Indo-West Pacific Scorpaena normani Cadenat, 1943 Norman's rockfish Mauritania to southern Angola Scorpaena notata Rafinesque, 1810 small red scorpionfishBay of Biscay to Senegal, Madeira, Azores and the Canary Islands, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea Scorpaena onaria D. S. Jordan & Snyder, 1900 western scorpionfishJapan, South Korea, Taiwan and New Caledonia Scorpaena orgila Eschmeyer & G. R. Allen, 1971 bold scorpionfishEaster Island Scorpaena papillosa (J. G. Schneider & J. R. Forster, 1801) red rock cod southern Australia and New Zealand Scorpaena pascuensis Eschmeyer & G. R. Allen, 1971 Easter Island Scorpaena pele Eschmeyer & J. E. Randall, 1975 Hawaiian Islands Scorpaena pepo Motomura, Poss & K. T. Shao, 2007 pumpkin scorpionfish Taiwan Scorpaena petricola Eschmeyer, 1965 Brazil Scorpaena plumieri Bloch, 1789 spotted scorpionfish Bermuda, Massachusetts, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil Eastern Atlantic: Ascension and St. Helena Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 black scorpionfish British Isles to the Azores, and the Canary Islands, including Morocco, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea Scorpaena regina Wibowo, Johnson & Motomura, 2019 Eastern Queen scorpionfish Australia Scorpaena russula D. S. Jordan & Bollman, 1890 reddish scorpionfishCuliacán, Sinaloa, Mexico to Peru Scorpaena scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 Red scorpionfish Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean; Atlantic range from British Isles (rare) to Senegal including Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde Scorpaena sonorae O. P. Jenkins & Evermann, 1889 Sonora scorpionfishMexico Scorpaena stephanica Cadenat, 1943 spotted-fin rockfish Mauritania to Angola Scorpaena sumptuosa Castelnau, 1875 western red scorpionfishsouthwestern Australia Scorpaena thomsoni Günther, 1880 Desventuradas Is. and Juan Fernández Is. Scorpaena tierrae Hildebrand, 1946 Chile Scorpaena uncinata F. de Buen, 1961 Chile Scorpaena vesperalis southwestern Australia Scorpaena wellingtoni Victor, 2013Victor, B.C. (2013): Scorpaena wellingtoni n. sp., a new scorpionfish from the Galápagos Islands (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 8: 30-43. Cove on Isla Isabela in the Galápagos
In addition, the following fossil species are known:
†Scorpaena acanthophora Rückert-Ülkümen, 1995 - mid-late Miocene of Pınarhisar, Turkey †Scorpaena boulei Arambourg, 1927 - latest Miocene (Messinian) of Algeria †Scorpaena jeanneli Arambourg, 1927 - latest Miocene (Messinian) of Algeria †Scorpaena prior Heckel, 1861 - middle Miocene (Langhian) of Austria The fossil species †‘"Scorpaena" minima Kramberger, 1882 from the Middle Miocene (Serravallian) of Croatia & Serbia clearly appears to be a valid scorpaenid taxon distinct from S. prior, but unique features in its otolith morphology make it uncertain whether it belongs to Scorpaena or a different genus. It is only tentatively retained in Scorpaena. The potential fossil species †Scorpaena osterodenensis Schwarzhans, 2007 is known from the middle Eocene of Germany, but only from isolated otoliths.
Characteristics Scorpaena scorpionfishes have a very bony head which is armed with numerous spines. There is a horizontal bony ridge beneath the eyes with 1-4 spines. They have an occipital pit. The uppermost spine on the preoperculum is the longest. There are patches of teeth on the roof of the mouth and at its sides. There are 12 spines and between 7 and 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 5 soft rays. There are 16 to 21 fin rays in the pectoral fin with some of the upper rays being branched in adults. They have relatively large scales and the scales on the body are smooth. The lateral line is complete and its scales are tubed. They vary in size from a total length of in S. pascuensis to in S. mystes.
Distribution and habitat Scorpaena scorpionfishes are found in the tropical and warm temperate zones of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are demersal fishes occurring in a number of habitats but are typically found in rocky or coralline habitats.
Biology Scorpaena scorpionfishes are solitary, ambush predators which use their cryptically patterned, irregularly shaped bodies to camouflage themselves on the substrate. They have large mouths and will eat prey up to half their own size, the vortex created by the sudden opening of the mouth drawing the prey in. They have venomous spines which can inflict serious injuries on humans.
Fisheries Scorpaena scorpionfishes are caught by recreational and commercial fisheries in some parts of the world. The flesh is regarded as very palatable.
References
External links Smith, J.L.B. 1957. The fishes of the Family Scorpaenidae; Part 1: The sub-family Scorpaeninae. Ichthyological Bulletin; No. 4. Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Smith, J.L.B. 1957. The fishes of the Family Scorpaenidae; Part 2: The sub-families Pteroinae, Apistinae, Setarchinae and Sebastinae. Ichthyological Bulletin; No. 5. Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Smith, J.L.B. 1958. Fishes of the families Tetraogidae, Caracanthidae and Synanciidae from the Western Indian Ocean with further notes on Scorpaenid fishes. Ichthyological Bulletin; No. 12. Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.