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Species: Trachyscorpia verai, Ecuadorian deep-sea scorpionfish

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back not humped
red
top lip narrow
pectoral: deeply notched, top rays longest, 22
pelvic spine short
longitudinal scales 50

Trachyscorpia verai Bearez & Motomura, 2009

Ecuadorian deep-sea scorpionfish

Body moderately deep (depth 31% SL), not strongly arched at front, compressed; head large (46% SL); snout short; head bones strong with well developed spines; large spines on top of head from between eyes to middle of nape; no pit on top of head behind eyes; eye large (12.8% SL), with 2 slender tentacles on top; mouth large, slightly oblique, reaches to nearly under rear edge of eye; top and bottom jaws ~equal, lower jaw with front knob; top jaw with thin lip, not covering most of side of front jaw bone; jaw teeth simple, in bands; sides of roof of mouth with teeth; longitudinal crest under eye with 5 spines; preopercle with 4 spines, 1st spine longest & with a strong supplemental spine; opercle with 2 small spines; slit behind 4th gill arch closed by membrane; gill rakers  5+11; dorsal fin XII, 3rd spine long (15.3% SL), 9 branched rays; anal fin III, 5 branched rays; pectoral not wedge shaped, fin bilobed, deeply notched, longest rays at top, 22, uppermost and lowest  6 rays unbranched, remaining rays branched, lower rays fleshy in large fish; pelvic spine short, 9.6% SL; body scales rough on sides, smooth below; scales on cheek, and between and behind eyes; no scales on side of rear top jaw bone; 50 scale rows in longitudinal series; lateral line with tubed scales, complete, extending to base of tail fin, 27 pored scales; no swim bladder.

Head and body uniform bright red, a dark blotch on the opercle; inside mouth and gill chamber pale; lining of gut cavity dark.

Reaches 36 cm.

Probably lives on deep slopes with rocks and sand.

Depth: 200+ m.

Known only from the coast of Ecuador.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bathydemersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Bony fishes
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Panamic province endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Not evaluated / Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Depth Range Max
  • 200
Depth Range Min
  • 200
Length Max
  • 36