| Family: |
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes), subfamily: Scorpaeninae |
| Max. size: |
12 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; marine; depth range 3 - 43 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: from southern Japan (except Ryukyu Islands), Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia, Taiwan, India, and the Red Sea. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 12-12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 6-6. This species is distinguished by the following characters: A II,6; dorsal-fin spines flexible, bend easily under slight pressure; snout is relatively short, 12.3-17.0% (mean 14.3%) of SL, it is shorter than postorbital length; posterior margin of maxilla reaching to or extending beyond vertical through middle of pupil; the distance between tips of lateral lacrimal and the first suborbital spines is shorter than or subequal to that between tips of first and second suborbital spines; no supplemental preopercular spine; tentacles on supraocular and posterior lacrimal spines are well developed, their lengths greater than orbit diameter; trunk and fins with numerous tentacles; lateral lacrimal and suborbital spines are poorly developed, indistinct, usually tiny spines and often bony protuberances without pointed tips; absence of distinct black blotch on soft-rayed portion of dorsal fin (Ref. 106976). |
| Biology: |
This species lives primarily in algae or soft-bottom habitats (Ref. 48635); it can be easily overlooked because of its superb camouflage (Ref. 54980). Solitary among weed or on mud bottoms (Ref 90102). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 03 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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