9a Row of spiny scutes along side ... HOPLICHTHYIDAE (No. 156)
~-----3c> 156 ,' - -
9b Body with normal scales ............................... .. ........ .... ...... 10
lOa Pelvic fins below pectoral fin base; 3 anal
fin spines ............ .... .. ........ .... .... .. .... BEMBRIDAE (No. 154)
lOb Pelvic fins posterior to pectoral fin base;
no anal fin spines .. .. .... .. ........ PLA TYCEPHALIDAE (No . 155)
vt~D
11a A fleshy papilla at front of isthmus . APLOACTINIDAE (No. 151)
llb No fleshy papillae atfront of isthmus .......... .. ....................... 12
12a Dorsal fin begins before or above
eye .. .... .............. .... ................. TETRAROGIDAE (No. 150)
12b Dorsal fin begins after eye ............ SCORPAENIDAE (No. 149)
149: SCORPAENIDAE (SCORPION FISHES)
Family No. 149: SCORPAENIDAE
by W.N. Eschmeyer
Scorpionfishes
Skerpioenvisse
Body moderately compressed to robust. Head large ,
spiny . Preopercle margin with 3-5 spines. Usually a row of
spines below eye on bony ridge attached to preopercle.
Usually 2 (sometimes 1) spine on opercle. Other spines
scattered on head. Eye moderate to large. One dorsal fin,
usually strongly notched at rear of spinous part with 7-18
spines and 4-14 soft-rays; anal fin with 2-4 spines and 5-14
soft-rays; last dorsal and anal rays double. Pectoral fins with
11-23 rays; lower 1-3 rays sometimes as separate, free rays.
Lateral line present; LSS = vertical series of scales, counted
2 or 3 rows above LL from 1st scale of LL to caudal fin base.
The family limits are uncertain; Matsubara's (1943) classification is followed here, except that congiopodids, tetrarogids and aploactinids are treated as separate families.
Most workers recognise a number of distinctive subfamilies , which are here arranged alphabetically.
KEY TO SUBFAMILIES
(Western Indian Ocean)
1a No overlapping scales on body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1b Typical overlapping scales on body (or body extremely
compressed and scales as small spiny papillae) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2a P normal, lowermost rays not free from remainder
of fin ....... . ................... SYNANCEIINAE
2b Lowermost 1-3 P rays free from remainder of fin ........... 3
3a Lowermost P ray free. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. MINOINAE
3b Lowermost 2-3 P rays free . . . .. . . .. . . CHORIDACTYLINAE
4a D spines usually 15; lowermost P ray free . . . . . . .. APISTINAE
4b D spines 12-14; no free Pray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sa LL a continuous trough , roofed by thin scales .. SET ARCHINAE
5b LL oftubed scales (sometimes buried) . ...... . ...... ... . 6
6a P not rounded , slightly bilobed , or upper rays
longest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEBASTOLOBINAE
6b P rounded, sometimes elongate ........... . ... ... .... 7
7a D spines usually very long, about equal to or
longer than body depth ; P usually reaches to rear
of A or beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PTEROINAE
7b D spines short , usually less than Yz of body depth;
P usually not reaching past front of A . . . ....... . .. .. ... 8
8a Usually 12 or more D soft-rays; usually 1 or no
spines on ridge below eye ..... .... . . ...... SEBASTINAE
8b Usually 10 or fewer D soft-rays; usually several
spines on ridge below eye . ..... .. . . . . . . SCORPAENINAE
Subfamily APISTINAE
Elongate, scaled body. Most head spines weak. Very
long spine on lachrymal bone. D spines 14-16; P elongate,
463
~-----3c> 156 ,' - -
9b Body with normal scales ............................... .. ........ .... ...... 10
lOa Pelvic fins below pectoral fin base; 3 anal
fin spines ............ .... .. ........ .... .... .. .... BEMBRIDAE (No. 154)
lOb Pelvic fins posterior to pectoral fin base;
no anal fin spines .. .. .... .. ........ PLA TYCEPHALIDAE (No . 155)
vt~D
11a A fleshy papilla at front of isthmus . APLOACTINIDAE (No. 151)
llb No fleshy papillae atfront of isthmus .......... .. ....................... 12
12a Dorsal fin begins before or above
eye .. .... .............. .... ................. TETRAROGIDAE (No. 150)
12b Dorsal fin begins after eye ............ SCORPAENIDAE (No. 149)
149: SCORPAENIDAE (SCORPION FISHES)
Family No. 149: SCORPAENIDAE
by W.N. Eschmeyer
Scorpionfishes
Skerpioenvisse
Body moderately compressed to robust. Head large ,
spiny . Preopercle margin with 3-5 spines. Usually a row of
spines below eye on bony ridge attached to preopercle.
Usually 2 (sometimes 1) spine on opercle. Other spines
scattered on head. Eye moderate to large. One dorsal fin,
usually strongly notched at rear of spinous part with 7-18
spines and 4-14 soft-rays; anal fin with 2-4 spines and 5-14
soft-rays; last dorsal and anal rays double. Pectoral fins with
11-23 rays; lower 1-3 rays sometimes as separate, free rays.
Lateral line present; LSS = vertical series of scales, counted
2 or 3 rows above LL from 1st scale of LL to caudal fin base.
The family limits are uncertain; Matsubara's (1943) classification is followed here, except that congiopodids, tetrarogids and aploactinids are treated as separate families.
Most workers recognise a number of distinctive subfamilies , which are here arranged alphabetically.
KEY TO SUBFAMILIES
(Western Indian Ocean)
1a No overlapping scales on body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1b Typical overlapping scales on body (or body extremely
compressed and scales as small spiny papillae) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2a P normal, lowermost rays not free from remainder
of fin ....... . ................... SYNANCEIINAE
2b Lowermost 1-3 P rays free from remainder of fin ........... 3
3a Lowermost P ray free. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. MINOINAE
3b Lowermost 2-3 P rays free . . . .. . . .. . . CHORIDACTYLINAE
4a D spines usually 15; lowermost P ray free . . . . . . .. APISTINAE
4b D spines 12-14; no free Pray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sa LL a continuous trough , roofed by thin scales .. SET ARCHINAE
5b LL oftubed scales (sometimes buried) . ...... . ...... ... . 6
6a P not rounded , slightly bilobed , or upper rays
longest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEBASTOLOBINAE
6b P rounded, sometimes elongate ........... . ... ... .... 7
7a D spines usually very long, about equal to or
longer than body depth ; P usually reaches to rear
of A or beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PTEROINAE
7b D spines short , usually less than Yz of body depth;
P usually not reaching past front of A . . . ....... . .. .. ... 8
8a Usually 12 or more D soft-rays; usually 1 or no
spines on ridge below eye ..... .... . . ...... SEBASTINAE
8b Usually 10 or fewer D soft-rays; usually several
spines on ridge below eye . ..... .. . . . . . . SCORPAENINAE
Subfamily APISTINAE
Elongate, scaled body. Most head spines weak. Very
long spine on lachrymal bone. D spines 14-16; P elongate,
463