Species: Setarches guentheri, Deepwater Scorpionfish

Setarches guentheri Johnson, 1862

Deepwater Scorpionfish

Body relatively deep, soft and flabby; head relatively large , its bones relatively weak, translucent, cavernous; no pit on top of head behind eyes; head spines poorly developed; horizontal ridge under eye with 3 moderate spines, 1st spine as long as next 2; eye relatively large, = distance between eyes; numerous small conical teeth on jaws; teeth present on sides roof of mouth; preopercular margin with 5 spines, 2nd spine ~equal to or longer than 1st and 3rd; a small slit behind 4th gill arch; a single dorsal fin, strongly notched at the rear of the spiny part, XII (XI-XXX) strong, venomous spines, 10 (9-11) soft rays; anal fin III, 5 (4-6); pelvics I, 5, under pectorals; pectorals large, 22.5 (20-25); tail fin round; lateral line complete, a continuous groove covered by thin membraneous scales; scales smooth, tiny, not in definite rows, ~100 vertical rows above lateral line; top of head scaleless; swim bladder well developed.

Live fish: pale red, with dark red diagonal bars; spiny dorsal dark red to black: freshly dead fish with head and body brick red, with tiny reddish-black spots; all fins reddish.

Reaches 31 cm

Lives on & near the bottom.

Depth range 150-1066 m.

Circumglobal in tropical and warm temperate areas except tropical east Pacific; New Jersey to southern Brazil.