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Species: Pontinus longispinis, Longspine scorpionfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

snout short (~eye)
bone before eye: 1st spine points down and forwards
no pit behind eyes
D spine III elongate
dark spots along LL
short V bone under throat
pectoral 17-18, no rays branched_x000d_
scales rough

Pontinus longispinis Goode & Bean, 1896

Longspine scorpionfish

Head very bony, with numerous spines, without pit behind eye; snout short, ~ eye size; ridge under eye with 3-4 spines; uppermost preopercular spine longest, 2nd spine small but present; bone above mouth before eye with 2 down-pointing spines, 1st spine angled down & forwards, plus a small spine often on its side; teeth on roof of mouth at sides but not at center; slit present behind last gill arch; a short V shaped bone at junction of front rays of gill membranes under throat; dorsal fin XII, 3rd spine notably elongated in large fish, 9.5; anal fin III+5; pectoral with longest rays in center, 17-18 rays, all unbranched; scales rough, present on cheek, behind eye and on chest; lateral line complete, with tubes on scales.

Red or pink, with a few darker red spots  on upper body, particularly along lateral line; rows of small spots on soft dorsal and tail; outer part of spiny dorsal with a pink stripe.

Reaches 25 cm.

Rocky and shell bottoms.

Depth range: 75-611 m.

Georgia to Brazil.

    


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Rocks
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Extends North of GC
  • Continent
  • Extends South of GC
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species..
  • Continent only
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Temperate (>35N)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 25
Depth Range Min
  • 75
Depth Range Max
  • 611