Species: Scorpaena brachyptera, Shortfin scorpionfish
ridge under eye: 3-4 spines
shallow pit behind eyes
Scorpaena brachyptera Eschmeyer, 1965
Shortfin scorpionfish
Head very bony, with numerous spines; no spine behind front nostril; adults with a shallow pit on top of head behind eyes, a pair of spines before that pit; eye moderate; 1st (topmost) preopercular spine the largest; nasal bones freely movable; no slit behind last gill arch; bone over front of mouth with 2 spines pointing down and forwards, 1st is small and arched; ridge under eye strong, with 3-4 spines; roof of mouth with teeth on sides, but not on center; no slit behind last gill arch; dorsal fin XII, 8.5 (7.5-9.5); anal III,5; pectoral 19-20, with some upper rays branched in adult, fin short, not reaching 1st anal fin spine; scales relatively large, smooth; lateral line complete.
Pale reddish; head mottled with dark and yellow; iris yellow-red; inner face of pectoral bright yellow; anal fin red, mottled, darkest at the front; other fins red; tail fin sometimes with 2 obscure bars.
Reaches 7.5 cm.
Found on rock, rubble and sponge bottoms.
Depth range: 46-155 m.
Florida to Venezuela.
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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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Data
- 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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- All species..
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- 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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- 7.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 46
- Depth Range Max
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- 155
