Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Scorpaenodes xyris, Rainbow scorpionfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

no pit behind eye
D: XIII
operculum - dark blotch
pectoral: lower rays unbranched
body scales rough

Scorpaenodes xyris (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)

Rainbow scorpionfish

No pit on top of head behind eyes; longitudinal ridge under eye with 2-3 spines, sometimes another row of spines below those; a small slit present or absent behind last gill arch; teeth on center of roof of mouth but not on sides;  dorsal fin XIII, 10 rays; anal III, 5; last dorsal and anal rays branched; pectoral 18 rays, some rays branched, the lower 10 unbranched and thickened, longest rays in center; scales rough, head usually scaly; skin flaps absent on scales of body; small spiny rays at top and bottom of base of tail fin.

Blotchy or mottled brown to red, often with 3-5 irregular dark bars on side; a white bar below eye extending across upper jaw; a prominent blackish spot on lower part of gill cover.

Size: reaches 15 cm.

Inhabits reef crevices.

Depth: 1-50 m.

Southern California through the Gulf of California to Peru and all the oceanic islands.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Corals
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • No Data
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • All species
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • 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)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 15
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 50