Species: Idiastion kyphos, Sharpcheek scorpionfish
head spines strong, multi-pointed
pit behind eyes
pectoral: center point, + branched rays
scales rough
preopercle: top spine isolated, longest
Idiastion kyphos Eschmeyer, 1965
Sharpcheek scorpionfish
Body behind head deep, humpbacked; head very bony, with strongly developed spines, often with multiple points; without pit behind eyes; eyes large; longitudinal ridge under rear of eye with 5-8 spines; uppermost of 4 preopercular spine separated from others and longest; teeth small, simple, on sides and front of roof of mouth; small slit behind last gill arch; small, simple teeth on jaws, front & sides of roof of mouth, in throat; dorsal fin XII, 9.5; anal fin III, 5; pectoral with longest rays in center, 17-19 rays, ray 1 & bottom 7-9 rays unbranched, lower, unbranched rays fleshy, with free tips; scales mostly rough; between eyes with or without scales; lateral line complete, with tubes on scales; small swim bladder.
Bright red head, body and fins; live fish sometimes with a large white blotch on nape; small fish with bars (1 down and back from eye, 1 up from eye to front of dorsal fin, a H shaped bar on body under middle of dorsal fin).
Reaches 18.6 cm.
Lives on soft bottoms
Depth range: 374-2360 m.
Trans-Atlantic; North Carolina to southern Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Mud
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- Also in Brazil
- Extends North of GC
- All species..
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- Extends N + S of GC
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 18.6
- Depth Range Min
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- 374
- Depth Range Max
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- 2360
