Small red scorpionfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small red scorpionfish |
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The small red scorpionfish (scientific name: Scorpaena notata) is a type of scorpionfish. It has venom, which means it can sting. This fish lives in warm ocean waters, especially in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. You can find it from the Bay of Biscay down to Senegal, and around islands like Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands.
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About the Small Red Scorpionfish Name
The small red scorpionfish was first officially described in 1810. A French expert named Constantine Samuel Rafinesque gave it its scientific name. He found the first fish he described in Sicily, an island in Italy. The name notata means "marked." This refers to a big black spot on its back fin.
What Does the Small Red Scorpionfish Look Like?
This fish can grow up to about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long. However, most adults are usually around 15 centimeters (6 inches). Its head is wide, with a short nose and a mouth that points slightly upwards.
It has a short tentacle right above each eye. There are also other small tentacles, spines, and skin flaps on its head. These help it blend in with its surroundings.
The fin on its back, called the dorsal fin, has twelve sharp spines and nine soft rays. The fin on its belly, called the anal fin, has two spines and six soft rays. Its side fins, called pectoral fins, are large and oval-shaped. They have seventeen to nineteen rays.
The small red scorpionfish has about 44 rows of scales on its body. But its head, chest, and the base of its pectoral fins are smooth, without scales. This fish is usually reddish-brown in color. It has a large, dark spot between the sixth and tenth spines on its dorsal fin. All its fins have brown spots, but its tail fin is plain.
Where Does the Small Red Scorpionfish Live?
The small red scorpionfish lives in the warm waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Its home stretches from the Bay of Biscay in the north down to Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and the coast of Africa near Senegal.
You can find it all over the Mediterranean Sea, but it is not very common in the Adriatic Sea. A special type of this fish, called Scorpaena notata afimbria, lives in the Black Sea. This fish usually lives near the shore in shallow water. However, it can also be found in deeper waters, sometimes as deep as 700 meters (about 2,300 feet).
Small Red Scorpionfish Life and Habits
The small red scorpionfish is a benthic species. This means it lives on the bottom of the sea. You will usually find it resting on rocks. It likes to be alone and usually hunts by itself.
It eats small fish, crustaceans (like crabs and shrimp), and other small animals that live on the seabed. Not much is known about how they have babies. But scientists think they probably lay their eggs in May.
Small Red Scorpionfish and Its Parasites
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Like many animals, the small red scorpionfish can have parasites. Parasites are small creatures that live on or inside another animal and get their food from it.
One type of parasite found on this fish is a tiny worm called Microcotyle algeriensis. Scientists discovered this worm in 2017. They found it living on the gills of small red scorpionfish caught near Algeria.
