Scorpaena bulacephala, Bullhead scorpionfish

Scorpaena bulacephala Motomura, Last & Yearsley, 2005

Bullhead scorpionfish
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Scorpaena bulacephala   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Scorpaenoidei (Scorpionfishes) > Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes) > Scorpaeninae
Etymology: Scorpaena: Latin, scorpaena = a kind of fish, 1706 (Ref. 45335); bulacephala: Named for its bull-shaped head.
More on authors: Motomura, Last & Yearsley.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 86 - 113 m (Ref. 75652). Subtropical

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West Pacific: off Norfolk Island and off Lord Howe Island, in the northern Tasman Sea. Also reported from New Caledonia (Ref. 86942).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75652)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 9. Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: 9 dorsal-fin soft rays; fourth fin spine longest; 17 pectoral-fin rays; 39-44 longitudinal scales rows; 23 pored lateral-line scales; lateral surface of trunk covered with ctenoid scales; anteroventral surface of body and pectoral-fin base covered with exposed cycloid scales; lateral surface of maxilla with no longitudinal ridge; no spines on lateral surface of lacrimal; posterior margin of anterior lacrimal spine with 1–3 small spines; simple posterior lacrimal spine directed ventroposteriorly; no median interorbital ridge and no coronal spine; with occipital pit and supplement preopercular spine; relatively short fin spines and rays, longest pectoral-fin ray (31.5-33.5% of SL); the space between the upper and lower opercular spines is not covered by skin with sensory pores and canals; length of supraocular tentacle is less than or approximately equal to pupil diameter; no tentacles on lateral surface of trunk, except on pored lateral-line scales (Ref. 75652).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Motomura, H., P.R. Last and G.K. Yearsley, 2005. Scorpaena bulacephala, a new species of scorpionfish (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) from the northern Tasman Sea. Zootaxa 1043:17-32. (Ref. 75652)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 04 March 2015

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |