Species: Scorpaena dispar, Hunchback Scorpionfish
slender eye cirrus
Scorpaena dispar Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Hunchback Scorpionfish
Head very bony, with numerous spines; adults with a well-developed pit on top of head behind eyes; eye moderate; 1st (top most) preopercular spine the largest, short, with a small accessory spine; a slender cirrus over eye; bone over front of mouth with 3-4 spines pointing down; ridge under eye with 2-4 spines; roof of mouth with teeth on sides but not at front; no slit behind last gill arch; dorsal fin XII, 9.5; anal III, 5; pectoral 17-19, with some upper rays branched in adult; scales relatively large, smooth; lateral line complete.
Bright red to orange; often 1-2 dark blotches often on body behind head; inner surface of pectoral base pale, or sometimes with dark blotches; tail fin with small black spots arranged in two vertical bands; small dark spots on body.
Reaches 22.5 cm.
Reef associated.
Depth range: 36-812 m.
S Carolina to 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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- Rocks
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef and soft bottom
- 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
- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- 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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- 22.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 36
- Depth Range Max
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- 812
