149: SCORPAENIDAE (SCORPIONFISHES)
149.11 Pterois russelfii: 24.5 em (off Natal).
Subfamily SCORPAENINAE
Pectoral fins usually large, with no free rays. D XIIXIII,7-11; A III,S (III,6 in Taenianotus); last D & A rays
double; C rounded. Usually spiny-headed, with a row or
ridge of spines under the eye. Found in all oceans, mostly in
tropical areas. About 15 genera, 12 in western Indian
Ocean, 11 in our area.
KEY TO GENERA
1a D spines 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scorpaenodes
1b D spines 12 ................................... 2
2a LL incomplete, only 1st 4-8 scales present ..... Phenacoscorpius
2b LL continuous (sometimes some scales rubbed
off during capture) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3a Rear lachrymal spine strongly hooked forward . .. Parascorpaena
3b Rear lachrymal spine not strongly hooked forward ......... 4
4a Scales as small spiny papillae (body extremely
compressed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taenianotus
4b Scales normal .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sa Scales cycloid ................................. 6
5b Scales ctenoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6a Two barbel-like skin flaps on chin; 16 Prays ... Pogonoscorpius
(1 species, P. seychellensis Regan, 1908, known only from the
Seychelles)
6b Skin flaps on head, but not 2 at chin; Prays 18 ...... Rhinopias
7a Prepelvic region unscaled or with deeply embedded
scales ................................ Scorpaena
7b Prepelvic region distinctly scaled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8a No branched Prays ........................ Pontinus
8b Some upper P rays branched (unbranched in young) ........ 9
9a Fourth D spine elongate in specimens over 6 cm in length;
dark spot at front of D ..................... lracundus
9b No D spines especially elongate .................... 10
lOa Palatine teeth absent ................... Scorpaenopsis
lOb Palatine teeth present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11
lla D soft-rays 8-10 (last ray double); shallow water. .. Sebastapistes
lIb D soft-rays 9-11 (last ray double); deeper than
100 m .............................. Neomerinthe
468
Genus Iracundus Jordan & Evermann, 1903
One species. Indian Ocean to central Pacific, but rather
rare.
149.12 Iracundus signifer
Jordan & Evermann, 1903
Decoy scorpionfish
Lokaas-skerpioenvis
lracundus signifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903: 210 (Hawaiian Ids.);
Eschmeyer & Randall, 1975: 287*.
D XII,9; A III,S; P 17-19. LSS about 70.
Spot on D between spines 1-2 or 1-3; 4th D spine elongate
in adults. Front part of D resembles a small fish and is
moved about to attract (or perhaps distract) unwary prey
(Shallenberger & Madden, 1973). Attains 11 cm. One
taken off Sodwana Bay, Zululand. Known from scattered
localities in the Indo-Pacific. Coral rubble areas in about
10-70 m.
149.12 Iracundus signifer: 9 em SL (after Esehmeyer & Randall, 1975).
Genus Neomerinthe Fowler, 1935
Similar to Pontinus, but with some upper P rays branched
(look carefully) and some internal differences. A few
species, mostly in the Atlantic. Some Indo-Pacific species
formerly placed in Scorpaena or Sebastapistes now referred
to this genus (see Chen, 1981). Two species in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a P 17; (Atlantic Ocean) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. N. folgori
Ib P 18-19; (Indian Ocean) ..... . ....... . ....... N. nielseni
149.13 Neomerinthe folgori
(Postel & Roux, 1964)
Scorpaena folgori Postel & Roux, 1964: 167, Figs. 1 & 2 (Cape Verde
Ids.). Neomerinthe folgori: Eschmeyer, 1969: 44; Penrith, 1980: 60*.
D XII,l1; A III,S; P 17; LSS about 85.
Mostly reddish. Attains 40 cm. One known from northern Namibia; also Cape Verde Ids. and coast of Mauritania,
180 - 310 m.
149.11 Pterois russelfii: 24.5 em (off Natal).
Subfamily SCORPAENINAE
Pectoral fins usually large, with no free rays. D XIIXIII,7-11; A III,S (III,6 in Taenianotus); last D & A rays
double; C rounded. Usually spiny-headed, with a row or
ridge of spines under the eye. Found in all oceans, mostly in
tropical areas. About 15 genera, 12 in western Indian
Ocean, 11 in our area.
KEY TO GENERA
1a D spines 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scorpaenodes
1b D spines 12 ................................... 2
2a LL incomplete, only 1st 4-8 scales present ..... Phenacoscorpius
2b LL continuous (sometimes some scales rubbed
off during capture) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3a Rear lachrymal spine strongly hooked forward . .. Parascorpaena
3b Rear lachrymal spine not strongly hooked forward ......... 4
4a Scales as small spiny papillae (body extremely
compressed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taenianotus
4b Scales normal .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sa Scales cycloid ................................. 6
5b Scales ctenoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6a Two barbel-like skin flaps on chin; 16 Prays ... Pogonoscorpius
(1 species, P. seychellensis Regan, 1908, known only from the
Seychelles)
6b Skin flaps on head, but not 2 at chin; Prays 18 ...... Rhinopias
7a Prepelvic region unscaled or with deeply embedded
scales ................................ Scorpaena
7b Prepelvic region distinctly scaled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8a No branched Prays ........................ Pontinus
8b Some upper P rays branched (unbranched in young) ........ 9
9a Fourth D spine elongate in specimens over 6 cm in length;
dark spot at front of D ..................... lracundus
9b No D spines especially elongate .................... 10
lOa Palatine teeth absent ................... Scorpaenopsis
lOb Palatine teeth present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11
lla D soft-rays 8-10 (last ray double); shallow water. .. Sebastapistes
lIb D soft-rays 9-11 (last ray double); deeper than
100 m .............................. Neomerinthe
468
Genus Iracundus Jordan & Evermann, 1903
One species. Indian Ocean to central Pacific, but rather
rare.
149.12 Iracundus signifer
Jordan & Evermann, 1903
Decoy scorpionfish
Lokaas-skerpioenvis
lracundus signifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903: 210 (Hawaiian Ids.);
Eschmeyer & Randall, 1975: 287*.
D XII,9; A III,S; P 17-19. LSS about 70.
Spot on D between spines 1-2 or 1-3; 4th D spine elongate
in adults. Front part of D resembles a small fish and is
moved about to attract (or perhaps distract) unwary prey
(Shallenberger & Madden, 1973). Attains 11 cm. One
taken off Sodwana Bay, Zululand. Known from scattered
localities in the Indo-Pacific. Coral rubble areas in about
10-70 m.
149.12 Iracundus signifer: 9 em SL (after Esehmeyer & Randall, 1975).
Genus Neomerinthe Fowler, 1935
Similar to Pontinus, but with some upper P rays branched
(look carefully) and some internal differences. A few
species, mostly in the Atlantic. Some Indo-Pacific species
formerly placed in Scorpaena or Sebastapistes now referred
to this genus (see Chen, 1981). Two species in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a P 17; (Atlantic Ocean) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. N. folgori
Ib P 18-19; (Indian Ocean) ..... . ....... . ....... N. nielseni
149.13 Neomerinthe folgori
(Postel & Roux, 1964)
Scorpaena folgori Postel & Roux, 1964: 167, Figs. 1 & 2 (Cape Verde
Ids.). Neomerinthe folgori: Eschmeyer, 1969: 44; Penrith, 1980: 60*.
D XII,l1; A III,S; P 17; LSS about 85.
Mostly reddish. Attains 40 cm. One known from northern Namibia; also Cape Verde Ids. and coast of Mauritania,
180 - 310 m.