Ambon Scorpionfish

Pteroidichthys amboinensis, commonly known as the Ambon scorpionfish or Godfrey's scorpionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish within the family Scorpaenidae. This family is characterized by the scorpionfishes. The species is distributed across the 🇮🇳 Indian and 🌊 Pacific Oceans.

Originally described in 1856 by Pieter Bleeker, a Dutch herpetologist, ichthyologist, and physician, Pteroidichthys amboinensis was identified with type localities specified as Ambon Island in the Moluccas and Manado on Sulawesi. Bleeker's classification placed it in a newly established genus, Pteroidichthys, marking it as the type species through monotypy. In 1954, 🇦🇺 Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley described a related species, Rhinopias godfreyi, from Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia, which is now recognized as a junior synonym of P. amboinensis. Nonetheless, the common name Godfrey's scorpionfish persists in 🇦🇺 Australia. The species name is derived from the type locality, Ambon Island.

Pteroidichthys amboinensis exhibits the elongated, compressed body shape typical of its genus. It is equipped with 12 flexible spines and 9 soft rays in its dorsal fin, as well as 2 spines and 6 soft rays in its anal fin. The snout is relatively short, measuring approximately 14% of its standard length, and the rear edge of the maxilla extends beyond a vertical line through the center of the pupil. Notable features include well-developed supraorbital tentacles and posterior lacrimal spines that surpass the diameter of the orbit. Numerous tentacles are present on the body and fins, while the lateral lacrimal and suborbital spines are subtle, often appearing as blunt bony protrusions. Unlike other species, P. amboinensis does not exhibit a distinct black blotch on the soft-rayed portion of the dorsal fin. The species can also undergo significant changes in color and pattern, occasionally displaying a mottled blackish and reddish appearance. It can reach a maximum total length of 12 cm (4.7 in).

Geographically, Pteroidichthys amboinensis inhabits the 🌊 Red Sea, extending through the 🌊 Indian Ocean and into the western 🌊 Pacific Ocean, reaching as far as 🇫🇯 Fiji, northern to southern 🇯🇵 Japan, and southern to 🇦🇺 Australia. It is a demersal species typically residing at depths between 7 and 43 meters (23 and 141 feet) over soft substrates and among algae.

This species is a solitary ambush predator, adeptly camouflaged within its environment, subsisting primarily on crustaceans and small fish. Notably, it possesses venomous spines, and the venom is highly toxic, with potential fatal consequences to humans in some instances of envenomation.