Scorpaena porcus, Black scorpionfish : fisheries, aquarium

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Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758

Black scorpionfish
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Scorpaena porcus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Scorpaena porcus (Black scorpionfish)
Scorpaena porcus
Picture by Hernández-González, C.L.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Scorpaenoidei (Scorpionfishes) > Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes) > Scorpaeninae
Etymology: Scorpaena: Latin, scorpaena = a kind of fish, 1706 (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range ? - 800 m (Ref. 4570). Temperate; 55°N - 25°N, 32°W - 42°E

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: British Isles to the Azores, and the Canary Islands, including Morocco, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 14.4, range 10 - ? cm
Max length : 40.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 33903); common length : 15.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397); max. published weight: 870.00 g (Ref. 40637)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 4 - 6. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D XII,7-9 with the last divided at base; pectoral fin rays 16-18, uppermost branched pectoral fin ray is usually the third (rarely second to fourth); lacrimal usually with 2 spines over maxilla that point at nearly right angle from each other, posterior pointing ventrally and slightly anteriorly; occipital pit is well-developed; anteriormost mandibular lateral line pores are widely separated; scales small, emarginate, no distinct ctenii; scale rows in longitudinal series 56-60; no scales on chest and pectoral fin base; cirri well developed over entire head and body, no cirri on lower jaw (Ref. 122805).
Cross section: compressed.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Solitary and sedentary. Common among rocks and algae. Feeds on small fishes (gobies, blennies), crustaceans and other invertebrates (Ref. 4570).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Fricke, R., D. Golani, B. Applebaum-Golani and U. Zajonz, 2018. Scorpaena decemradiata new species (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) from the Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea, a species distinct from Scorpaena porcus. Scientia Marina 82(3):1-16. (Ref. 122805)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 14 July 2014

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Traumatogenic (Ref. 4690)





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
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Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
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