---
title: Stargazers (Uranoscopidae)
scientific_name: Uranoscopidae
common_name: Stargazers
rank: Family
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T21:19:42.994Z
tags: Stargazers, Uranoscopidae, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/stargazers
---

# Stargazers (*Uranoscopidae*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Family
- **Scientific name:** Uranoscopidae
- **Body shape:** Bottom-dwelling - Stocky, big-headed, sits on the reef or sand rather than swims - scorpionfishes, groupers, gobies.
- **Species listed here:** 1

## How to recognise this group

- mostly buried in sand or mud
- large, broad, flattened head
- eyes on top of head, pointing upwards
- large, upward-facing mouth
- cryptic sandy or mottled colouration

Stargazers (Uranoscopidae) are bottom-dwelling marine fishes with a robust, somewhat flattened body that tapers significantly towards the tail. They are named for their large, broad head and dorsally placed eyes, giving the impression of looking upwards. The mouth is large and upward-pointing. Their skin typically displays cryptic patterns of sand, gravel, or mottled brown coloration, aiding camouflage. Species within this group range in length from 18 cm to 90 cm (7 to 35 inches). All stargazers possess two robust venomous spines located behind the gill covers, above the pectoral fins; some species are also capable of delivering an electric shock.

These fishes inhabit sandy and muddy bottoms, often found on reef flats or near seagrass beds, at depths from shallow coastal waters down to 80 metres (260 ft) in the Red Sea. Stargazers are ambush predators that bury themselves almost entirely in the substrate, leaving only their eyes and upward-pointing mouth exposed. They feed on benthic fish and invertebrates, capturing prey with a sudden, powerful upward strike. Certain species use a worm-like appendage on the lower jaw as a lure to attract smaller fish and crustaceans. Their cryptic camouflage and sedentary ambush hunting make them infrequently observed by divers unless specifically sought out.


## Species (1)

- [Rosette-Spotted Stargazer (Uranoscopus rosette)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/stargazers/rosette-spotted-stargazer)

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*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/stargazers)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*