Species: Scorpaena sonorae, Sonora scorpionfish
Scorpaena sonorae Jenkins & Evermann, 1889
Sonora scorpionfish
Body relatively slender, depth 30-33% of SL; head very bony, with numerous spines; snout relatively short, 7-11% of SL narrow between eyes (width 5-6% of SL); cirrus over eye of juvenile; pit behind eyes flat, without a defined front edge; longitudinal ridge under eye with 2 (0-2) small spines; top preopercular spine the longest, 2nd spine very small; roof of mouth with teeth on sides; no slit behind last gill arch; no skin flaps on body ; dorsal rays XII (XII-XIII), 8-9; anal rays III, 5; pectoral rays 19-21, the lower 14 rays unbranched and thickened; scales relatively large, smooth on body; lateral line complete; with tubes on scales; 24-25 lateral line scales, 43-49 vertical row; scales on lower front body imbedded, not well exposed.
Mottled red and brown with irregular dark bars on sides, ventral parts whitish; a large rounded dark blotch on the soft dorsal fin.
Size: to about 18 cm.
Inhabits sand-rubble bottoms.
Depth: 1-91 m.
Southern Baja and the Gulf of California.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- No Data
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- No data
- Global Endemism
-
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Cortez + Mexican provinces endemic
- Continent only
- All species
- Continent
- TEP endemic
- Continental TEP endemic
- 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)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 18
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 91
