Species: Pontinus rathbuni, Highfin scorpionfish
before eye: 2 spine points down and back
eye cirrus - short, splayed tip
4 dark bars
short V bone under throat
Pontinus rathbuni Goode & Bean, 1896
Highfin scorpionfish
Head very bony, with numerous spines, without pit behind eye; cirrus over eye usually shorter than eye and splayed at tip; snout short, ~eye; ridge under eye with 3-4 spines; uppermost preopercular spine longest; bone above mouth before eye with 2 spines pointing back and down, plus a small spine often on its side; teeth on roof of mouth at sides but not at front; slit present behind last gill arch; a short V shaped bone at junction of front rays of gill membranes under throat; dorsal fin XII (high at front, but no single spine notably elongated), 9.5; anal III+5; pectoral with longest rays in center, 17 (16-18) rays, all unbranched; scales rough, present on cheek, behind eye and on chest; lateral line complete, with tubes on scales.
Probably reddish with darker spots and blotches on pectoral and tail fins; dark smudges on lateral line scales; small fish often with 4 dark bars.
Reaches 25 cm.
Rocky and shell bottoms.
Depth range: 73-385 m.
N Carolina to Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- 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
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
-
- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends South of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Continent only
- Continent
- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 25
- Depth Range Min
-
- 73
- Depth Range Max
-
- 385
