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Species: Pontinus vaughani, Spotback scorpionfish

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red + yellow blotches, dense pale blue spots
D: 2nd & 3rd spines long
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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.

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