Species: Pontinus vaughani, Spotback scorpionfish


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
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Rocks
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- No Data
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- All species
- TEP endemic
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- 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
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Depth Range Min
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- 30
- Depth Range Max
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- 120
- Length Max
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- 57