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scorpionfish
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California scorpion fish (Scorpaena guttata)
The Unique Habits and Habitats of the Humphead Wrasse
plumed scorpionfish Scorpion fish (Scorpaenopsis vittapinna). lionfish A rosy rockfish with orange and white markings rests among colorful sponges and corals on Cordell Bank, California. golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus) Illustration comparing the venom apparatus of three scorpaeniform fishes: a lionfish (Pterois) with a shallow channel and venom gland, a stonefish (Synanceja) with a venom duct and gland, and a scorpion fish (Scorpaena) with a shallow channel and venom gland, each labeled with anatomical features.
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Also spelled:
scorpion fish
Also called:
rockfish and stonefish
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California scorpion fish (Scorpaena guttata)
California scorpion fish (Scorpaena guttata)

scorpionfish

fish
Also known as: Scorpaenidae, rockfish, scorpion fish, stonefish(Show More)
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History
The Unique Habits and Habitats of the Humphead Wrasse
The Unique Habits and Habitats of the Humphead WrasseLearn about the humphead wrasse (sometimes called Napoleon fish) and scorpionfish, which can be found in the waters of the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia.
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scorpionfish, any of the numerous bottom-living marine fish of the family Scorpaenidae, especially those of the genus Scorpaena, widely distributed in temperate and tropical waters. Sometimes called rockfish or stonefish because they commonly live among rocks, scorpionfish are perchlike fish with large, spiny heads and strong, sometimes venomous, fin spines. The fin spines, with or without venom, can produce deep and painful wounds.

plumed scorpionfish
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plumed scorpionfishThe plumed scorpionfish (Scorpaena grandicornis) is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Bermuda and along the eastern coasts of Central America and South America.
Scorpion fish (Scorpaenopsis vittapinna).
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Scorpion fish (Scorpaenopsis vittapinna).
lionfish
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lionfishLionfish (species Pterois).

Many scorpionfish are rather dull in colour, but others are brighter—often some shade of red. The largest members of the family grow about 1 metre (39 inches) long. Scorpionfish are carnivorous and generally sedentary. They often lie quietly on the bottom, and many blend closely with their surroundings by virtue of their colouring and (in some species) a variety of flaps and projections on the head and body. Better-known species include the redfish and the highly coloured, venomous lionfish.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.