Species: Scorpaena bergii, Goosehead scorpionfish
short branched cirrus over eye
large pit behind eyes
C - 3 bars, A - 3 stripes
scales smooth
Scorpaena bergii Evermann & Marsh, 1900
Goosehead scorpionfish
Head very bony, with numerous spines; spine present behind front nostril; adults with a well developed pit on top of head behind eyes, a pair of spines before that pit; eye moderate; a pair of small, branched cirri above eyes; 1st (topmost) preopercular spine the largest; bone over front of mouth with 2 spines pointing down and forwards; ridge under eye with 1 spine, at rear; roof of mouth with teeth on sides but not on center; no slit behind last gill arch; dorsal fin XII, 9.5; anal III, 5, 3rd spine shorter than 2nd; pectoral 16-17, with some upper rays branched in adult, fin reaching 1st anal fin spine; scales relatively large, smooth; lateral line complete; skin flaps on body along lateral line and below it.
Brown; a large dark blotch on dorsal spines IV-VII; tail fin with dark bars on its base, center and rear edge; pelvics clear, with a dusky tip; anal fin with 3 dark stripes.
Reaches 10 cm.
Turtle grass beds in clear water reefs, including around reefs; mainly at islands.
Depth range: 0-75 m, usually < 7 m.
The Carolinas to the southern Caribbean.
Note: uncertain records in Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Submerged vegetation
- Soft bottom only
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- 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
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 10
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 75
