Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Pontinus vaughani, Spotback scorpionfish

    Bookmode

Taxa

Next

Previous

Literature

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

red + yellow blotches, dense pale blue spots
D: 2nd & 3rd spines long
Images
This Species (4) This Genus (6) Similar Species (5)

Next

Previous

Pontinus vaughani Barnhart & Hubbs, 1946

Spotback scorpionfish

Head and body compressed; head very bony, with numerous spines; nape flat; without pit behind eyes;  eye relatively small (18-25% of head length); uppermost preopercular spine longest; teeth on roof of mouth at sides but not at front; slit present behind last gill arch; 14-21 gill rakers; dorsal XII, 2nd  and 3rd equally long, much longer than others 9-10 rays; anal III, 4; pectoral with longest rays in center, 19-20 rays, all unbranched; scales rough, present on cheek, behind eye and on chest; lateral line complete, 26-31 scales with tubes.

Head and body dark-pink, with yellowish blotches on shoulders and head; entire head and body with dense irregular, often elongate, pale blue spots; spinous dorsal with pink and blue spines, membranes yellowish pink, soft part with pink rays, yellowish membranes; tail, and anal rays pink, membranes yellowish pink; pelvic with pink and blue rays, yellowish pink membranes; pectoral rays pink with series of elongate dark spots, membranes pink with blue spots, base pink with dense blue spots.

Size: 57 cm.

Habitat: rubble bottoms.

Depth: 30-120 m.

Central Baja California, the SW part of the Gulf of California and the Revillagigedos and Clipperton.

High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • No Data
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
  • All species
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Depth Range Min
  • 30
Depth Range Max
  • 120
Length Max
  • 57