Draco Waspfish

Body light brown, irregularly blotched with darker brown; a broad dark band across interorbital, continuing as a bar below eye and another band from origin of dorsal fin to eye. Dorsal fin pale with a large dark brown blotch in middle of the fin, usually between 6th and 9th spines; other irregular blotches especially posteriorly. Caudal fin whitish with faint small dark spots. No scales. Body depth 2.45-3.1 in SL. Lacrimal with 2 spines, a short ventral one and a large posterior one that extends to below center of eye. Preopercle with a large spine in line with suborbital ridge; the second spine, lower, very small and blunt. Origin of dorsal fin above rear edge of eye; a broad space between 3rd and 4th dorsal spines, the associated membrane deeply incised, nearly dividing the dorsal into 2 fins. Caudal fin truncate, slightly rounded when spread (Ref. 11441).

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 5 - 6

Found inshore on sandy bottoms, often in bays.

Pseudovespicula dracaena, the draco waspfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a waspfish belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. This species is native to the western Indian Ocean. This species grows to a length of 7.5 centimetres (3.0 in) TL. This species is regarded as the only known member of its genus by some authorities, while others include 2 other species in that genus.