Hairy scorpionfish (Scorpaenodes hirsutus)

Scientific name: Scorpaenodes hirsutus Smith, 1957

The Hairy scorpionfish (Scorpaenodes hirsutus) is a marine fish of the family Scorpaenidae. Native range: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and East Africa to the Marquesan and Pitcairn islands, north to Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to Australia.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5 - 6. Covered with short hairlike filaments. With vertical scale rows about 30; usually with 4 spines on suborbital ridge, first on lateral face of lachrymal bone; usually 1 additional spine below suborbital ridge at level between second and third spines; presence of interorbital spines; absence of small spines at midline between tympanic spines.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Scorpaenodes hirsutus
Family: Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and Flatheads)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 5.6
Depth range: 1–40 m (3–131 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 40 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Marquesan and Pitcairn islands, north to Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Venomous
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026