Tasseled scorpionfish

Tasseled scorpionfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Genus: Scorpaenopsis
Species: S. oxycephala
Binomial name
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
(Bleeker, 1849)

The tasseled scorpionfish, or small-scaled scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, is a carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It can reach a maximum length of 36 cm (14 in) and can vary considerably in color. Adults are bearded with a number of tassels below the jaw.

They inhabit reef slopes from only 1 to 35 meters. When in shallow waters, swimmers may accidentally tread on them which may cause painful injury from the venomous spines.

References

  • "Scorpaenopsis oxycephala". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 23 January 2007.
  • Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2007). "Scorpaenopsis oxycephala" in FishBase. January 2007 version.


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