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Tassled scorpion fish
Scientific name : Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
The typical reef scorpion fish, with large head, many skin flaps and appendages, barbels below the lower jaw, very variable colour, often marbled. Young specimens can have a broad band between the eye and the upper lip. The first dorsal spine is shorter, the second and third have almost the same lenght. The orbital diameter is smaller than the distance between eye and snout. 36 cm. Scorpaenopsis species identification can be impossible in the wild, especially with small specimens. S. oxycephala is the typical large scorpion fishes encountered in reef environment. It is well identified from the other common species, Scorpaenopsis venosa, because the latter has shorter snout, first 3 dorsal spines evenly growing in lenght, and is more common on sandy coastal environments.
Associated organisms
Often still on sponges, soft corals, hard corals.
Habitat:
Deep reef, Reef external slope, Reef front
Distribution:
Indo-West Pacific
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