Stellate Scorpionfish

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: D soft rays 8; pectoral-fin rays 16-17, rays 11-12 (from uppermost ray) are noticeably longer than rest in smallest four type specimens; caudal-fin rays 25-27; vertebrae 8 precaudal + 16 caudal = 24; spines on suborbital ridge 4 (rarely 5); no secondary suborbital ridge spines; 2 prominent round to oblong pores in suborbital sensory canal immediately ventral to suborbital ridge; absence of coronal, interorbital, upper post temporal and postorbital spines; incomplete lateral line, 8-10 pored scales extending from behind supracleithral spine to mid body; cirri associated withnasal, supraocular, and parietal spines and present on posteroventral projection of lacrimaland upper left quadrant of the orbit; no cirri associated with postocular, tympanic,supracleithral, and lower posttemporal spines; relatively elongate body, its depth at originof dorsal fin 30-32% SL, depth at caudal peduncle 9-10% SL; when alive, colour brightorange-red with several reddish-brown bars on posterior portion of trunk, the pectoral finwith vivid yellow spots interspersed with bright orange-red spots (Ref. 109716).

Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 5; Vertebrae: 24

Collected on rocky substrata on a vertical rock wall (Ref. 109716).