Black Scorpionfish
Scorpaena porcus
Madeira Scorpionfish
Scorpaena maderensis
About
The Madeira scorpionfish is a small, camouflaged ambush hunter that wedges itself into rocky cracks and ledges, waiting for prey to pass. It grows up to 17.8 cm, though most are around 10 cm.
Also known as: red scorpionfish
- Length
- 10 cm · max 17.8 cm
- Depth
- up to 40 m
Appearance
The body is mottled reddish-brown, blending well with rock and algae, and the fins carry spines. Like other scorpionfish, it has venomous spines fed by a gland along the front side of the body.
Habitat
Lives on rocky coastal ground in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, from about 20 to 40 m, favouring rocky ledges, small boulders, and areas with plenty of brown algae. It hides in cracks and crevices, staying close to the bottom.
Diet
Feeds on crustaceans living on and near the seabed, such as crabs, amphipods, and isopods, and will also take small fish, algae, snails, and worms when the chance arises. It hunts as an opportunist, eating whatever is close by, and feeds more heavily in winter than in summer.
Did you know?
The French naturalist Achille Valenciennes first described this species in 1833, working from a specimen collected off Madeira, the Atlantic island that gave the fish its name.
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