Black Scorpion Fish

Family Scorpaenidae

REMARKS Maximum length 25 cm. A brown fish with darker markings reminiscent of camouflage – which is indeed their purpose and accounts for their being variable. Common throughout the Mediterranean, in shallow water.

I mention also the smaller and less common species Scorpaena notata Rafinesque, which is of a reddish-brown colour and bears names such as petite rascasse (Fr.) and scorfanotto (It.) which refer to its small size. It may always be recognized by the black spot between the eighth and tenth spines of its dorsal fin (see small drawing). It shares this characteristic with the blue-mouth, but the latter is in turn distinguished by the structure of its pectoral fins.