Scorpaena porcus, Photo: Michael Lahanas
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Euteleosteomorpha
Subcohors: Neoteleostei
Infracohors: Eurypterygia
Sectio: Ctenosquamata
Subsectio: Acanthomorphata
Divisio/Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Ordo: Scorpaeniformes
Subordo: Scorpaenoidei
Familia: Scorpaenidae
Subfamilia: Scorpaeninae
Genus: Scorpaena
Species: Scorpaena porcus
Name
Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Scorpaena erythraea Cuvier, 1829
References
Boissin, E., Micu, D., Janczyszyn-Le Goff, M., Neglia, V., Bat, L., Todorova, V., Panayotova, M., Kruschel, C., Macic, V., Milchakova, N., Keskin, Ç., Anastasopoulou, A., Nasto, I., Zane, L. & Planes, S. 2016. Contemporary genetic structure and postglacial demographic history of the black scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus, in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. Molecular Ecology 25(10): 2195–2209. DOI: 10.1111/mec.13616 Reference page.
Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiæ: impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii. i–ii, 1–824 pp DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542: 266. Reference page.
Links
Scorpaena porcus in the World Register of Marine Species
Scorpaena porcus – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Scorpaena porcus at FishBase
The black scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus), also known as the European scorpionfish or small-scaled scorpionfish, is a venomous scorpionfish, common in marine subtropical waters. It is widespread in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to the Azores and Canary Islands, near the coasts of Morocco, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.[3]
Taxonomy
The black scorpionfish was first formally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae in which he gave the type localities as the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.[4] Linnaeus also described the genus Scorpaena and in 1876 the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker designated S. porcus as the type species of the genus Scorpaena.[5] The specific name porcus means "pig", an allusion which Linnaeus did not explain. However, it may reference the belief, originating with Athenaeus who said that he observed this species eating algae or weed and this was mistranslated in the Renaissance as "mud".[6]
Description
The black scorpionfish has a maximum length of about 37 cm (15 in) but a more normal adult length is around 15 cm (6 in). The head is broad with a short snout and upwardly angled mouth. There is a short tentacle just above the eye and various other shorter tentacles, spines and flaps of skin decorating the head. The dorsal fin has twelve spines and nine soft rays and the anal fin has two spines and six soft rays. The pectoral fins are large and oval and have sixteen to eighteen rays. The colour of this fish is generally brownish and there is a dark pigmented spot between the eighth and ninth dorsal spines. The fins are mottled with brown and the caudal fin has three vertical brown stripes. [7]
Distribution and habitat
The black scorpionfish is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Its range extends southwards from the southern half of the British Isles to the Azores, the Canary Islands and the northwestern coast of Africa. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea down to depths of about 800 m (2,625 ft).[3]
Biology
The black scorpionfish is a benthic species and is usually found resting among seaweed and on rocks. It is usually solitary, and it feeds on small fishes such as blennies and gobies, crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Little is known about its reproduction.[7] This is one of the fish used by the marine leech Pontobdella muricata as a host.[8]
References
de Sola, L.; Herrera, J.; Keskin, Ç.; de Morais, L.; Smith-Vaniz, W.F.; Carpenter, K.E.; de Bruyne, G. (2020). "Scorpaena porcus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T198747A177149605. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T198747A177149605.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Bailly, Nicolas (2013). "Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Scorpaena porcus" in FishBase. August 2021 version.
Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Scorpaena". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Scorpaenidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
"Black scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus)". Fishes of the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
"Pontobdella muricata Linnaeus, 1758". SeaLifeBase. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
