76 DANGEROUS MARINE ANIMALS 



Members of the genus Scorpaena are for the most part shallow 

 water, bottom-dwellers, found in bays, along sandy beaches, rocky 

 coastlines, or coral reefs, from the intertidal zone to depths of 50 

 fathoms or more. Their habit of concealing themselves in crevices, 

 among debris, under rocks, or in seaweed, together with their pro- 

 tective coloration which blends them almost perfectly into their 

 surrounding environment, makes them difficult to see. When they 

 are removed from the water, they have the defensive habit of 

 erecting their spinous dorsal fin and flaring out their armed gill 

 covers, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins. The pectoral fins, although 

 dangerous in appearance, are unarmed. 



Stonefishes are largely shallow-water dwellers, commonly found 

 in tidepools and shoal reef areas. Synanceja has the habit of lying 

 motionless in coral crevices, under rocks, in holes, or buried in 

 sand and mud. They appear to be fearless and completely disin- 

 terested in the careless intruder. 



Species of Scorpionfishes : 



Zelbrafish type: Zebrafish, Lionfish or Turkeyfish, Pterois 

 volitans (Linnaeus) (Fig. 43, Top). Inhabits the Red Sea, Indian 

 Ocean, China, Japan, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Poly- 

 nesia. One of several closely allied species found around coral 

 reefs. 



Scorpionfish type: Bullrout or Sulky, Apistus carinatus (Bloch 

 and Schneider) (Fig. 43, Bottom). Inhabits the coast of India, 

 Netherlands Indies, Philippine Islands, China, Japan, and Aus- 

 tralia. 



Waspfish or Fortescue, Centropogon australis (White) (Fig. 44, 

 Top) . Inhabits New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. 



Bullrout, Notesthes robusta (Giinther) (Fig. 44, Center). Inhabits 

 New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. 



Scorpionfish, Scorpaena guttata Girard (Fig. 44, Bottom). 

 Ranges from central California south into the Gulf of California. 



Scorpionfish, Scorpaena plumieri Bloch (Fig. 45, Top). In- 

 habits the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to the West Indies 

 and Brazil. One of several closely related species found in this 

 general region. 



Scorpionfish, Rascasse, Sea Pig, etc, Scorpaena porcus (Lin- 

 naeus) (Frontis). Inhabits the Atlantic coast of Europe from the 

 English Channel to the Canary Islands, French Morocco, Medi- 

 terranean and Black Seas. 



Scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis diabolus (Cuvier) (Fig. 45, Next to 



