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Diagnostic Description

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Snout length > orbit diameter. Has a dark purplish blotch on the rear of the spinous dorsal fin (Ref. 37816). Juveniles with large, forward pointing tentacles above the eyes (Ref. 48635). Space on opercle between opercular spines scaled; penultimate dorsal spine 1.9-2.2 in length of last spine; reaches 195 mm SL (rarely over 170 mm) (Ref 42181).Description: Characterized by generally mottled brown to reddish color, depending on surroundings; single upper opercular spine; relatively long snout, 2.8-3.2 in head length; presence of prominent skin tassels on lower head; long fimbriate tentacle often present above the eye; depth of body 2.7-3.2 in SL (Ref. 90102).
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Grace Tolentino Pablico
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Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 5
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Trophic Strategy

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Found inshore (Ref. 75154).
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Auda Kareen Ortañez
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Biology

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Found in coral and rocky areas to depths over 40 m (Ref. 34765); also in coastal and slopes, estuaries and lagoons, often in algae covered rubble zones (Ref. 48635). Feeds on fishes (Ref. 89972). Solitary and difficult to see due to camouflage colors (Ref 90102).
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Cristina V. Garilao
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Scorpaenopsis papuensis

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Scorpaenopsis papuensis, the Papuan scorpionfish, is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific.

Taxonomy

Scorpaenopsis papusensis was first formally described as Scorpaena papuensis in 1829 by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier with the type locality given as New Guinea.[3] The specific name is the suffix -ensis added to Papua, another name for New Guinea, indicating the type locality.[4]

Description

Scorpaenopsis papuensis has 12 spines and 9 soft rays in its dorsal fin and 3 spines and 5 soft rays in its anal fin. The length of the snout is greater than the orbital diameter. There is a dark purplish blotch on the rear of the spiny part of the dorsal fin. Juveniles have large, forward pointing tentacles over the eyes.[2] The basic colour is mottled reddish brown on the body and fins. It has tentacles and skin flaps on the jaw and chin. It is able to change the colour of its body to enhance its camouflage compared to substrate it rests on.[5] The maximum published total length reached by the Papuan scorpionfish is 25 cm (9.8 in).[2] This species may be distinguished from the similar raggy scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis venosa) by having a flattened intraorbital space with no occipital pit.[6]

Distribution and habitat

Scorpaenopsis papuensis is found in the Indo-West Pacific from western Indonesia to French Polynesia, north as far as the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.[1] In Australian waters this species is found at Houtman Abrolhos north to the bortwest of Port Hedland in Western Australia, on the Cartier Reef in the Timor Sea, and off the far northern Great Barrier Reef to Holmes Reef in the Coral Sea, as well as at Middleton Reef in the Tasman Sea.[6] It is found at depths of between 1 and 40 m (3 ft 3 in and 131 ft 3 in) in coral and rocky areas and also in sandy coastal slopes, estuaries and lagoons, frequently found in rubble areas covered in algae.[2][1]

Biology

Scorpaenopsis papuensis is a solitary, cryptic species which is an ambush predator of fishes,[2] waiting for prey to approach near enough to be engulfed by its mouth and eaten.[5] The Papuan scorpionfish exhibits biofluorescence, that is, when illuminated by blue or ultraviolet light, it re-emits it as red, and appears differently than under white light illumination. Biofluorescence may assist in intraspecific communication and camouflage.[7]

Biofluorescence of Scorpaenopsis papuensis at night at the Solomon Islands. The fish (circled) is blending with a red-fluorescing algae

Utilisation

Scorpaenopsis papuensis occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.[5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scorpaenopsis papuensis.
  1. ^ a b c Motomura, H. & Matsuura, K. (2016). "Scorpaenopsis papuensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69919036A70009990. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69919036A70009990.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (-2021). "Scorpaenopsis papuensis" in FishBase. Augus -2021 version.
  3. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Scorpaenopsis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Bob Goemans (2012). "Scorpaenopsis papuensis (Cuvier, 1829) Papuan Scorpionfish". Saltcorner Fish Library. Bob Goemans. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b Bray, D.J. (2018). "Scorpaenopsis papuensis". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  7. ^ Sparks, John S.; Schelly, Robert C.; Smith, W. Leo; Davis, Matthew P.; Tchernov, Dan; Pieribone, Vincent A.; Gruber, David F. (2014). "The Covert World of Fish Biofluorescence: A Phylogenetically Widespread and Phenotypically Variable Phenomenon". PLOS ONE. 9 (1): e83259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083259. PMC 3885428. PMID 24421880.

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Scorpaenopsis papuensis: Brief Summary

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Scorpaenopsis papuensis, the Papuan scorpionfish, is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific.

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