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; also Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- 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)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- 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