What characteristics distinguish sea poachers from other scorpaeniform fishes?

Sea poachers, which belong to the family Agonidae, are distinguished from other scorpaeniform fishes primarily by their external appearance and body structure. While the order Scorpaeniformes is generally defined by the presence of a bony plate or stay running across the cheek, sea poachers are specifically characterized by the bony, often saw-edged armour plates that cover their entire bodies.123

In terms of physical form, many sea poachers are notably more slender than other mail-cheeked fishes, which often possess more traditional, spindle-shaped body plans. Additionally, their reproductive habits differ from many other scorpaeniforms; they lay relatively few, large eggs, often hiding them in crevices or within the stalks of marine vegetation, such as kelp, rather than shedding them in the open sea or exhibiting the complex parental care seen in some other families. These small, bottom-dwelling fish are found primarily in the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean.342