Scorpaenopsis oxycephala

Smallscale Scorpionfish | Tasselled Scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Photo: Andrew Green
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Bali, Indonesia
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Indonesia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Indonesia
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Photo: Andrew Green
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Lord Howe Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
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Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala

Distribution

Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Moderately-humped back and snout longer and flatter than in Scorpaena species. Prominent skin tassels on underside of head. Very similar S. papuensis has larger scales, and S. venosa may have large cirri above eyes, but field identification of these species is difficult.


Information

Max Size: 36 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 22.4-30.5°C

Depth: 1-400m

Habitat Generalization Index: 7.14

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Infrequent (2.1% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: RD Stuart-Smith, GJ Edgar, AJ Green, IV Shaw. 2015. Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland