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Species: Scorpaena grandicornis, Plumed Scorpionfish

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deep pit behind eyes
large, plumed cirrus over eye
inside pectoral base & adjacent body and fin: whit
scales smooth

Scorpaena grandicornis Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1829

Plumed Scorpionfish

Head very bony, with numerous spines; no spines before well developed pit on top of head behind eyes; eye moderate, with a very large, plumed cirrus above; 1st (top most) preopercular spine the largest, with a small accessory spine; bone over front of mouth with 2 spines pointing down; bone ridge under eye with 2-3 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 18-19, with some upper rays branched in adult, not reaching past 3rd anal spine; scales relatively large, smooth; lateral line complete; numerous skin flaps on body, snout and around mouth.

Dark brown; tail fin with 3 brown bars (base, middle and end); upper part of inside of pectoral base brown, with small (<0.5 mm) white dots, each surrounded by dark pigment, white spots extending onto fin and side of body next to fin; lower head and chest white.

Reaches 15 cm.

Lives in seagrass beds and soft bottoms.

Depth range: 1-30 m.

North Carolina to Brazil


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • 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
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 15
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 30