Species: Scorpaena inermis, Mushroom scorpionfish
mushroom flaps atop eye
Scorpaena inermis Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1829
Mushroom scorpionfish
Head very bony, with numerous spines; head long (length before dorsal fin 40-47% of SL); adults with almost no pit on top of head behind eyes; narrow between eyes; eye moderate, with small mushroom-shaped cirri on its upper 1/4; 1st (top most) preopercular spine the largest, short, with a small accessory spine; bone over front of mouth with 2 spines pointing down; bone ridge under eye with 3 spines; roof of mouth with teeth on sides but not at center; no slit behind last gill arch; dorsal fin XII, 7.5 (7.5-8.5); anal III,5; pectoral 19-21, with some upper rays branched in adult, fin reaching first anal spine; scales relatively large, smooth; lateral line complete.
Mottled red; tail fin with 2 indistinct bars (at middle and end); no color marks on inside of pectoral base; often a brown spot behind head under lateral line; outer edge of pectoral, soft dorsal and anal fins dark.
Reaches 11 cm.
Rocky bottoms with sand and rubble; also in seagrass beds and coral bottoms
Depth range: 1-73 m.
Georgia to Surinam
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- Corals
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- 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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- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- All species..
- Continent
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Extends South of GC
- 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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- 11
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 73
