Species: Pontinus nematophthalmus, Spinythroat scorpionfish

before eye: 2 back-pointing spines
no pit behind eyes

Pontinus nematophthalmus (Gunther, 1860)
Spinythroat scorpionfish
Head very bony, with numerous spines, without pit behind eye; cirrus over eye, when present is long (~2X eye), slender; snout short, ~eye; ridge under eye with 3-4 spines; uppermost preopercular spine longest, 2nd spine reduced but seldom absent; bone above mouth before eye with 2 back-pointing spines, plus a small spine often on its side; teeth on roof of mouth at sides but not on center; slit present behind last gill arch; a long, down-pointing V shaped bone at junction of front rays of gill membranes under throat; dorsal fin XII (none notably elongated), 8.5-9.5; anal fin III+5; pectoral with longest rays in center, 16 (15-17) rays, all unbranched; scales rough, present on cheek, behind eye and on chest; lateral line complete, with tubes on scales.
Reddish; often 4 ill-defined dark saddles on back.
Reaches 14 cm.
Rocky and shell bottoms.
Depth range: 82-698 m.
Georgia to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- 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
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- Extends North of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Temperate (>35N)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 14
- Depth Range Min
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- 82
- Depth Range Max
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- 698