Scientific Name
Scorpaenopsis papuensis

Common Name
Papuan scorpionfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5. 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).

Classification

Classified By

Cuvier, 1829

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Scorpionfishes and Flatheads (Scorpaeniformes)

Family

Scorpionfishes or rockfishes (Scorpaenidae)

Distribution

Region

Pacific Ocean

Distribution

Pacific Ocean: Indonesia and the Philippines to the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef and Fiji.

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

40 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 40 m (Ref. 34765)

Trophic Level

4.18 s.e. 0.73 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

25.0 cm

Common Length

20.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated