Usually found immobile at the bottom camouflaged among rocks and coral. Hunts by ambushing prey (Ref. 5503). Unlike most scorpaenids, the sting from the dorsal spines of this species can be painful but does not pose any real danger to the victim (Ref. 5503). Sold fresh in small quantities in markets.

Western Indian Ocean: Kenya and Mozambique to islands in the western Indian Ocean.

Chagos, Comores, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Red Sea, Reunion, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa (country)

Western Indian Ocean: East Africa to Madagascar, Comores, Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues (Mascarenes), Aldabra, Farquhar Islands, Seychelles and Chagos Archipelago.

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 5

Maximum size: 210 mm SL

21.0 cm SL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 3503))

A black spot nearly as large as eye on inner surface of pectoral fins near base of first 5 rays; no black mark inside mouth at front of upper jaw. Ascending process of premaxilla narrow, its maximum width 1.8-2.2 in orbit diameter; a series of papillae or nodules (sometimes on a low ridge) across interorbital space between supraocular spines; nasal spine single (Ref 42181).

Usually found immobile at the bottom camouflaged among rocks and coral. Hunts by ambushing prey (Ref. 5503). Unlike most scorpaenids, the sting from the dorsal spines of this species can be painful but does not pose any real danger to the victim (Ref. 5503). Sold fresh in small quantities in markets.

reef-associated; marine

Depth range based on 23 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 8 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0.15 - 150
  Temperature range (°C): 24.782 - 27.698
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.050 - 0.279
  Salinity (PPS): 34.984 - 35.429
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.660 - 4.806
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.108 - 0.207
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.829 - 4.102

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0.15 - 150

Temperature range (°C): 24.782 - 27.698

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.050 - 0.279

Salinity (PPS): 34.984 - 35.429

Oxygen (ml/l): 4.660 - 4.806

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.108 - 0.207

Silicate (umol/l): 0.829 - 4.102
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Sluggish carnivore which lurks beneath coral heads and ledges on both interisland reef shallows and the seaward reef. It lies motionless while waiting for fish and invertebrates to venture close enough to capture (Ref. 275).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 4 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not Evaluated

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: high; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family