Tassled scorpionfish
Binomial name: Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, Pieter Bleeker, 1849
The tasseled scorpionfish, or Small-scaled scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, is a carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It can reach a maximum length of 36 cm and can vary considerably in color. Adults are bearded with a number of tassels below the jaw.
They inhabit reef slopes from only 1 to 35 meters. When in shallow waters, swimmers may accidentally tread on them which may cause painful injury from the venomous spines.
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Scientific classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Scorpaeniformes
- Family
- Scorpaenidae
- Genus
- Scorpaenopsis
- Species
- Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
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