A fish shaped like the rock it sits on, up to 36 cm (14 in), mottled red and brown and fringed all over with skin tassels that break its outline into algae and sponge. It does not flee, it does not blink, and divers put hands on one about as often as they see one.
The disguise is maintained. A scorpionfish sheds its outer skin layer every few weeks, taking the algae and hydroids growing on it with it, so the camouflage stays a copy of the reef rather than becoming part of it.
The defense is twelve or thirteen dorsal spines, each grooved and backed by venom glands. This is not a stonefish - the venom is weaker and the spines shorter - but a sting is still severe: immediate burning pain, swelling that spreads up the limb, and hours of it. Hot water, as hot as the victim can stand, breaks the protein toxin down and is the first thing to do, followed by a hospital.
Hunting is done by waiting. Small fish and crustaceans that come within range are taken by a suction gulp in a few milliseconds, and the only warning is the flash of the pectoral fins, which are patterned in orange and black on the inside and hidden the rest of the time.
The genus. Scorpaenopsis Heckel 1837 - opsis (appearance). ETYFish
The species. Scorpaenopsis oxycephala (Bleeker 1849) - oxy (sharp) + cephalus (head). ETYFish
- shaggy fringe of skin flaps along the jaw and over the eyes, like moss
- mottled red, brown and white, matching whatever it sits on
- flashes bright orange-and-black underwings when it finally moves
- length up to 36 cm
