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Family Scorpaenidae - Scorpionfishes or rockfishes

Order:

Scorpaeniformes

Class:

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

No. of Genera:

No. of Species:

172

Environment:

Fresh: Yes Brackish: Yes Marine: Yes

Aquarium:

many

First Fossil Record:

lower Tertiary, Paleocene Ref.: Berg, L.S..1958

Remark:

Distribution: all tropical and temperate seas. Marine. Rare in fresh water. Body compressed; head usually with ridges and spines; gill membranes free from isthmus. Scales, when present, usually ctenoid. Usually 1 dorsal fin, often notched. Some lack swim bladder. Dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines can bear venom gland. Fertilization mostly internal. Eggs are laid in a gelatinous balloon in some species; larvae are planktonic. The family contains the world's most venomous fishes, many of them brightly colored. Most species live on or near the bottom and feed on crustaceans or fishes. Most do well in aquariums, but some require live foods. The current arrangement follows Eschmeyer (1998) and includes the subfamilies Scorpaeninae, Sebastolobinae, and Pteroinae.

Etymology:

Latin, scorpaena = a kind of fish. 1706 ( Ref. 45335).

Division:

Marine

Main Ref.:

Nelson, J.S..1994

Coordinator:

Show species | Nominal species list for Scorpaenidae | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

Update \| Add new Family	Ref.:				Glossary
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