Scorpaena scrofa
Encyclopedia
Scorpaena scrofa, common name the red scorpionfish or large-scaled scorpion fish is a venomous marine species of fish in the family Scorpaenidae, the "scorpionfish".
It has 12 dorsal spines, 9 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines, and 5 soft rays. It often has a dark spot on its spinous dorsal spines between the 6th and 11th. It has long supraorbital tentacles.
, but not in the Black Sea
. It is also found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean
around the British Isles
, although rarely, and in Senegal
, the Canary Islands
, and in Cape Verde
.
Description
Scorpaena scrofa is the largest eastern Atlantic scorpion fish. Colouration ranges from brick-red to a light pink, and it has dark coloured blotches on its body. It has venomous spines, can achieve a maximum weight of approximately 3 kilograms (6.6 lb). It can grow to a maximum length of 50 centimetres (19.7 in), but is commonly around 30 cm (11.8 in).It has 12 dorsal spines, 9 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines, and 5 soft rays. It often has a dark spot on its spinous dorsal spines between the 6th and 11th. It has long supraorbital tentacles.
Distribution
This species is found in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, but not in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. It is also found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
around the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, although rarely, and in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and in Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
.