Teleostei (teleosts) >
Perciformes/Scorpaenoidei (Scorpionfishes) >
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes) > Pteroinae
Etymology: Dendrochirus: Greek, dendron = tree + Greek, cheir = hands; with tree like marks (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 80 m (Ref. 90102). Tropical; 32°N - 32°S
Indo-West Pacific: India and Sri Lanka eastward to Tonga;north to Japan (Ref. 116325).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 17.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)
Common in reef flats and shallow lagoons, in areas with weed-covered rocks on sandy substrates. Adults often found on sponges and juveniles are sometimes found in small aggregations on remote bommies with 10 or so individuals (Ref. 48635). Nocturnal. Feeds on small crustaceans (Ref. 37816).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Distinct pairing (Ref. 205). Females possess specialized ovarian structures including stalk-like ovigerous lamellae and secretory epithelia (Ref. 32832).
Eschmeyer, W.N., 1986. Scorpaenidae. p. 463-478. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4313)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
