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Scorpaenidae

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(Redirected from Scorpionfish)
Not to be confused with Scorpionidae.

Scorpionfish
Temporal range: Middle Eocene–present
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Scorpaenoidei
Family: Scorpaenidae
A. Risso, 1826
Type species
Scorpaena porcus
Subfamilies

See text

Scorpaena scrofa

The Scorpaenidae (also known as scorpionfish) are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species.[1] As their name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venomous mucus. They are widespread in tropical and temperate seas, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. They should not be confused with the cabezones, of the genus Scorpaenichthys, which belong to a separate, though related, family, Cottidae.

Taxonomy

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Scorpaenidae was described as a family in 1826 by the French naturalist Antoine Risso.[2] The family was included in the suborder Scorpaenoidei of the order Scorpaeniformes in the fifth edition of Fishes of the World.[3] However, more recent authorities place it in the suborder Scorpaenoidei of the order Perciformes. Following a major revision in 2018, several groups previously treated as subfamilies of Scorpaenidae, such as Synanceiidae and Plectrogeniidae, are now treated as their own families, while several tribes placed within Scorpaenidae, such as Pteroinae, are now treated as their own subfamilies.[1][4]

Subfamilies and genera

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Pterois radiata
Sebastes nebulosus
Sebastolobus alascanus

The Scorpaenidae are divided into these subfamilies and genera, containing a total of 39 genera with no fewer than 388 species:[5][6]

Fossil otoliths of scorpaenids are known as early as the mid-Eocene[7][8], although body fossils only appear during the Oligocene or Miocene.[9][10]

Characteristics

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The Scorpaenidae have a compressed body with the head typically having ridges and spines. One or two spines are on the operculum, with two normally being divergent, and three to five on the preoperculum, normally five. The suborbital stay is normally securely attached to the preoperculum, although in some species it may not be attached. If scales are present, they are typically ctenoid. They normally have a single dorsal fin, which is frequently incised. The dorsal fin contains between 11 and 17 spines and 8 and 17 soft rays, while the anal fin usually has between one and three spines, normally three, and three to nine soft rays, typically five, A single spine is in the pelvic fin with between two and five soft rays, again typically five, while the large pectoral fin contains 11–25 soft rays and sometimes has a few of the lower rays free of its membrane. The gill membranes are not attached to the isthmus. Some species have no swim bladder. Venom glands are in the spines of the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins in some species. Most species use internal fertilisation, and some species are ovoviviparous while others lay their eggs in a gelatinous mass, with Scorpaena guttata being reported to create a gelatinous "egg balloon" as large as 20 cm (7.9 in) across.[3] The largest species is the shortraker rockfish (Sebastes borealis), which attains a maximum total length of 108 cm (43 in), while many species have maximum total lengths of 5 cm (2.0 in).[11][12]

Distribution and habitat

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Scorpaenidae species are mainly found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but some species are also found in the Atlantic Ocean.[3] Some species, such as the lionfishes in the genus Pterois, are invasive non-native species in areas such as the Caribbean[13] and the eastern Mediterranean Sea.[14] They are found in marine and brackish-water habitats.[11] They typically inhabit reefs, but can also be found in estuaries, bays, and lagoons.

References

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  1. ^ a b Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer, W. N.; Van der Laan, R. (2025). "ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION". California Academy of Sciences.
  2. ^ Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 001–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
  3. ^ a b c J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 468–475. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
  4. ^ Smith, W. Leo; Everman, Elizabeth; Richardson, Clara (2018). "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads, Scorpionfishes, Sea Robins, and Stonefishes (Percomorpha: Scorpaeniformes) and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber". Copeia. 106 (1): 94–119. doi:10.1643/CG-17-669. ISSN 0045-8511.
  5. ^ "CAS - Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes - Genera/Species by Family/Subfamily". researcharchive.calacademy.org. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
  6. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Scorpaenidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  7. ^ Schwarzhans, Werner (2007-07-27). "The otoliths from the middle Eocene of Osteroden near Bramsche, north-western Germany". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen: 299–369. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2007/0244-0299.
  8. ^ SCHWARZHANS, WERNER W.; STRINGER, GARY L.; TAKEUCHI, GARY T. (2024-07-16). "THE MIDDLE EOCENE BONY FISH FAUNA OF CALIFORNIA, USA, RECONSTRUCTED BY MEANS OF OTOLITHS". RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA. 130 (2). ISSN 2039-4942. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29.
  9. ^ Micklich, N.; Parin, N. (1995). "The fishfauna of Frauenweiler (Middle Oligocene, Rupelian; Germany): First results of a review". Publ. Espec. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr. 21: 129–148.
  10. ^ Schwarzhans, Werner; Carnevale, Giorgio; Japundžić, Sanja; Bradić-Milinović, Katarina (2017). "Otoliths in situ from Sarmatian (Middle Miocene) fishes of the Paratethys. Part IV: Scorpaenidae, Labridae, and Gobiesocidae". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 136 (1): 93–108. doi:10.1007/s13358-017-0124-y. ISSN 1664-2376.
  11. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Scorpaenidae". FishBase. June 2021 version.
  12. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Sebastidae". FishBase. June 2021 version.
  13. ^ Hamner, R. M.; Freshwater, D. W.; Whitfield, P. E. (2007). "Mitochondrial cytochrome b analysis reveals two invasive lionfish species with strong founder effects in the western Atlantic". Journal of Fish Biology. 71: 214–222. Bibcode:2007JFBio..71S.214H. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01575.x.
  14. ^ Weisberger, Mindy (28 June 2016). "Aliens Attack! Invasive Lionfish Arrive in Mediterranean". livescience.com. Retrieved 13 February 2020.

Further reading

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