Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Scorpaena mystes, Pacific spotted scorpionfish, Stone scorpionfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

deep pits before & behind eye
mottled + white spots
inside pectoral: black blotch, rows white spots
bars on C
ridge under eye: 3-4 spines
body: many skin flaps

Scorpaena mystes Jordan & Starks in Jordan, 1895

Stone scorpionfish, Pacific spotted scorpionfish

Head very bony, with numerous spines, as deep as broad; a deep pit present behind eyes; a smaller pit below and in front of eye; longitudinal ridge under eye with 3-4 spines; top preopercular spine the longest; roof of mouth with teeth on sides; no slit behind last gill arch; numerous skin flaps on head and body ; dorsal rays XII, 9-10; anal rays III, 5-6; pectoral rays 18-21, the lower rays unbranched and thickened; scales relatively large, smooth on body; lateral line complete; with tubes on scales; 24-25 lateral line scales, 42-48 vertical rows.

Color highly variable, usually a drab mottled mixture of grey, brown, red, green, and black; tail with dark bars; axil of pectoral fin usually dark with white spots, frequently arranged in rows; juveniles with pronounced dark bar on rear body at level of soft dorsal fin. Specimens from the Revillagigedos and Galapagos have more uniformly colored pectoral axils and may represent a separate subspecies.

Size: to 51 cm.

Inhabits weed-covered reefs and open sand- rubble areas.

Depth: 1-100 m.

Southern California through the Gulf of California to Chile, plus the Revillagigedos, Galapagos, Cocos and Malpelo.

  


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Brackish
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Corals
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continent
  • Island (s)
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 51
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 100