Species of Scorpion fish

[Puffer Fish]

I have always assumed (I know, bad idea) that the scorpion fish in the south florida/keys are the same species we have up here in the northern gulf...

Ours live in much deeper water....typically 70 to 150 ft (might be deeper, just don't go there)...

Would not be the first time that the depth is wrong in a fish ID book.

So, my assumption is these are spotted...but I happen to run into a spotted off of Panama City, and now I am not so sure.

Here is clearly a spotted:

But what is this then?

These guys tend to be big head, small body, and lack the facial "hair". They also lack the markings behind the fins.

I suppose I should have noticed early, but this is the first time I have seen a spotted up here, and the difference is striking.

Anyone know the name of this one?

 

[Banyan]

Scorpionfish individuals vary so much even within a species that it's a real pain trying to identify them.

My Dangerous Marine Mammals book by Bergbauer, Myers and Kirschner says that there are 26 species of West Atlantic Scorpionfish, 16 of which are found shallower than 100 m. ("most of these are rarely seen") I imagine you could find most of those around the Keys if you were lucky.

My first guess is Barbfish (Scorpaena brasiliensis), but the tentacle above the eye doesn't seem as long and as branched as I would expect. The underside would have small dark spots. I can't tell from this angle if there's a dark spot above the pectoral fin. If there isn't, then it might be a Plumed (S. grandicornis) instead, but I think those are a bit more rare than the Barbfish.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Thanks Banyan....after looking up those two, the plumed is too small... these typically are around 14 inches, with some getting bigger than that. They are amazing color change artists, so judging the color will not work.

While they are very common here, I have only seen them in this small area... so what is rare in one place may not be the case here.

Here are some side images:

They don't, in general have the eye thing, but some of the images I found were missing that also.

 

[Banyan]

14+ inches? Wow. That first pic almost exactly matches my book's photo of the Barbfish, but that has a listed max length of 30 cm (12 inches) according to Fishbase. It also kinda looks like Spinycheeks (Neomerinthe hemingwayi, which is an awesome scientific name) which grow up to 40 cm, but are found 45 m and deeper. I suppose it's possible that you've come across a group of Barbfish that have grown to monster size with an abundant food source, but it might be some other species that simply isn't coming up in searches because divers don't usually encounter them.

 

[billmackbarnes]

That purple one is gorgeous!

Bill

 

[Puffer Fish]

Thanks, spotted scorpion fish can be very pretty...just never seen one in the northern gulf.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Banyan, Thanks for doing all the hard work. Ok, I see several possible events here:

1. Barbfish and Spinycheeks are actually the same fish. Up here, Yellow tail reef fish are common, and small in shallow water (under 100 ft) and huge in deep water. My fish book shows a maximum size of 4 inches.. at 140 ft, I've seen them over 6 inches. It could be that the fish changes shape a bit as it grows... the top and bottom ones are around 15 inches (the top one is the bigger of the two).. the middle two are around 10 to 12 inches.. either they are two different fish (possible) or the fish changes shape a bit as it grows ?

2. These are what would be deep water fish in other places, living in shallower water here...which would make them Spinycheeks..that is very possible also, as I have images of several other deep water animals here:

Both were taken in around 85 ft of water..

3. There are two species, but they are mixed up Id's out there, so one cannot tell which ones are correct. Just look up images of a yellow mouth grouper versus a Scampi, would bet half the picture Id's are wrong.(assuming they actually are two different species)

14+ inches? Wow. That first pic almost exactly matches my book's photo of the Barbfish, but that has a listed max length of 30 cm (12 inches) according to Fishbase. It also kinda looks like Spinycheeks (Neomerinthe hemingwayi, which is an awesome scientific name) which grow up to 40 cm, but are found 45 m and deeper. I suppose it's possible that you've come across a group of Barbfish that have grown to monster size with an abundant food source, but it might be some other species that simply isn't coming up in searches because divers don't usually encounter them.

14+ inches? Wow. That first pic almost exactly matches my book's photo of the Barbfish, but that has a listed max length of 30 cm (12 inches) according to Fishbase. It also kinda looks like Spinycheeks (Neomerinthe hemingwayi, which is an awesome scientific name) which grow up to 40 cm, but are found 45 m and deeper. I suppose it's possible that you've come across a group of Barbfish that have grown to monster size with an abundant food source, but it might be some other species that simply isn't coming up in searches because divers don't usually encounter them.

 

[deborahdelamar]

Nice! This from Reefnet re Barbfish (The DVD pictures a fish that closely resembles yours):
It is brownish in colour with red and orange mottling, and some small brown spots over a pale background along the lower side, especially at the axil of the pectoral fin. It may also be yellowish-brown to yellow, with dark patches. There are usually 2 or 3 large dark brown spots behind the opercle. The caudal fin has two dark bars, one at mid-fin and the other at its rear margin. There are 2 downward-directed spines on the preorbital bone, 3 spinous points on the suborbital ridge, and (possibly) a well-developed tentacle above each eye. Like S. plumieri (spotted scorpionfish) it has 12 dorsal spines and 9 soft rays, and 3 anal spines and 5 soft rays, but it has more scales (50-58) in its lateral line than most other members of this genus. This species is typically 7-10 inches in length, grows to a maximum of 14 inches.

Etymology: scorpaena, scorpion; brasiliensis, from Brazil (origin of the first described specimen)

Habitat and Behaviour:
It inhabits a variety of bottoms in depths from several feet to 300 feet, and is more commonly found along continental margins (in bays and harbours or on the continental shelf) than around islands. Its dorsal spines are more toxic than in other members of this genus, and can produce painful slow-healing wounds.

Abundance and Distribution:
Seen occasionally along the coast from Virginia, through Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Central and South America to Brazil. Rare in the Caribbean.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Hi Debora! I would agree... other than the size issue, I would say it was a Barbfish. Odd thing is, they are very common here, and we never see anything smaller than around 8-10 inches. And the small ones (around a foot in length) are always thin. Only the larger ones have that thick body look. Large would be around 15 - 18 inches They can do amazing color changes, but are never ever brownish.

The yellow, orange and magenta ones below were all taken on the same dive, about 5 ft apart.

My guess is that they reproduce in much deeper water, which raises the issue if they are actually spinycheeks. But then some of our fish here are bigger than listed.. don't know.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Here are two images showing their color matching skills...

These were taken at around 90 ft, in very poor vis. It was dark, and there was no red light that a human could have seen...