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Species: Pontinus species A, Rosy scorpionfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

pink + oblique bars
LL: broken stripe
D: no long spines
D & C: spotted

Pontinus species A

Rosy scorpionfish

Relatively slender, body compressed; head very bony, with numerous spines, large, deep; nape flat; without pit behind eyes ; eye large (24-29% of head length); uppermost preopercular spine longest; teeth on roof of mouth at sides but not at front; slit present behind last gill arch; 13 gill rakers; dorsal XII, without elongated 2nd  or 3rd  spines, 9-10 rays, last ray divided at its base, not attached to body; anal III, 5, second spine moderately long; pectoral with longest rays in center, 16-18 rays, all unbranched; scales rough, present on cheek, behind eye and on chest; lateral line complete, scales with tubes.

Reddish, pinkish to white on breast and belly; irregular oblique brown bars on side; a broken brown stripe along lateral line; fins reddish with brown spotting on soft dorsal, caudal and pectorals.

Reaches 30 cm.

Habitat: rocky and rubble bottoms.

Depth: 50-150 m.

Southern Baja and the mouth of the Gulf of California to northern Peru.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Sand & gravel
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • No Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Bony fishes
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
  • 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
  • Continental TEP endemic
  • Continent only
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
IUCN Red List
  • Not evaluated / Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 30
Depth Range Min
  • 50
Depth Range Max
  • 150