Genus: Setarches, Bristly Scorpionfish, Scorpionfish

SETARCHES

SCORPIONFISH

Body relatively deep, soft and flabby; head relatively large, its bone 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 longest; 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, 9-11 soft rays; anal fin III, 5 (4-6); pelvics I, 5, under pectorals; pectorals large, 21-25; 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.

A circumglobal genus with 2 species; one Atlantic and Indo-west Pacfiic species in our area.