About Scorpaena brasiliensis Cuvier, 1829
Scorpaena brasiliensis Cuvier, 1829 has a many-spined, compressed oblong body that tapers toward the tail. It has a rather short head and snout, with a distinct occipital pit, and a small or entirely absent posttemporal spine. The preorbital bone above the mouth bears two spiny points, while the suborbital ridge holds three spiny points, with the two anterior points being blunt. There are five spines on the preoperculum: the uppermost spine has a supplementary spine, the second spine is almost the same size as the third spine, and the fourth and fifth spines range from medium to small in size. The mouth holds thin bands of small teeth on the jaws, palatine, and vomer. Well-developed tentacles sit above the eyes. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and 9 soft rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 5 soft rays, and the pectoral fin has 16 to 20 fin rays. The body is covered in large, smooth scales, and the lateral line is complete. The caudal fin is rounded. The body background color can be red, brown, greenish-brown, yellow, or white. Lower portions of the body are paler than upper portions; the lower parts of the head and body, and the inner surface at the base of the pectoral fins, are marked with small, round dark spots. The center of the pectoral fins may be either green-brown or yellow. Three or four brown blotches run along the flank below the lateral line, and there is no large blotch at the front of the dorsal fin. The caudal fin has two faint dark bars: one crosses the center of the fin, and the other runs along its rear margin. This species has a maximum published total length of 38 cm (15 in), with 20 cm (7.9 in) being a more typical adult size. This species is found in the Americas, in the Atlantic Ocean ranging from Virginia, United States, north of the Gulf of Mexico (including the Greater and Lesser Antilles), south to Brazil. It has been reported from Bermuda, but no individuals have been recorded there since 1927. It primarily inhabits soft bottoms and coral reefs, ranging from the coastline down to depths of 100 meters, and can be found in bays, ports, and on continental shelves.
