Sydney scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis insperatus)

Scientific name: Scorpaenopsis insperatus Motomura, 2004

Sydney scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis insperatus)

The Sydney scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis insperatus) is a marine fish of the family Scorpaenidae. Native range: Southwestern Pacific, known only from 2 specimens collected at Chowder Bay, Sydney Harbour, Australia.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5; Vertebrae: 24. No median interorbital ridge; well-developed interorbital ridges conjoined at anterior edge of occipital pit; upper opercular and posterior lacrimal spines simple, not divided; 30-34 longitudinal scale rows; 3 suborbital spines; fifth dorsal fin spine longest; large orbit diameter (5.4-5.6 in HL); short snout length (3.7-3.9 in HL) less than orbit diameter; narrow interorbital width (5.4-5.6 in HL) less than orbit diameter; narrow space between ventral margin of eye and suborbital ridge.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Scorpaenopsis insperatus
Family
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes)
Order
Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and Flatheads)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
4.9
Depth range
14 m (46 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 14 - 14 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Southwestern Pacific: known only from 2 specimens collected at Chowder Bay, Sydney Harbour, Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
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.

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