Found in coral and rocky areas to depths over 40 m ; also in coastal and slopes, estuaries and lagoons, often in algae covered rubble zones . Feeds on fishes . Solitary and difficult to see due to camouflage colors (Ref 90102).
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5. Snout length > orbit diameter. Has a dark purplish blotch on the rear of the spinous dorsal fin . Juveniles with large, forward pointing tentacles above the eyes . Space on opercle between opercular spines scaled; penultimate dorsal spine 1.9-2.2 in length of last spine; reaches 195 mm SL (rarely over 170 mm) (Ref 42181). : fusiform / normal.
Behavioural data for Papuan scorpionfish is currently being reviewed.
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 40 m . Tropical north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef and Fiji.
fishes (Ref
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scorpaena papuensis | Cuvier | 1829 | Synonym |
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 6 records indexed .
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Papuan scorpionfish ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.