Decoy Scorpionfish

Family	Scorpaenidae
Description	Scorpionfishes or rockfishes
Environment	Fresh, Brackish & Marine
Etymology	Latin, scorpaena = a kind of fish.
Genus	26
No. of Species	215
Order	Scorpaeniformes
Class	Actinopterygii
Reproductive Guild
Distribution	All tropical and temperate seas. Marine. Rare in fresh water. Body compressed; head usually with ridges and spines; gill membranes free from isthmus. Scales, when present, usually ctenoid. Usually 1 dorsal fin, often notched. Some lack swim bladder. Dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines can bear venom gland. Fertilization mostly internal. Eggs are laid in a gelatinous balloon in some species; larvae are planktonic. The family contains the world's most venomous fishes, many of them brightly colored. Most species live on or near the bottom and feed on crustaceans or fishes. Most do well in aquariums, but some require live foods. The current arrangement follows Eschmeyer (1998) and includes the subfamilies Scorpaeninae, Sebastolobinae, and Pteroinae Reported to occur at all depths from shore to about 2,200 m. Some family members are reported to be partial intertidal residents, using this zone as refuge from predation during juvenile development, while many are tidal transients, still some may be full residents of the zone

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