About Scorpaena guttata Girard, 1854
Description: Scorpaena guttata, also known as the California scorpionfish, reaches a maximum length of 43 to 47 cm (17 to 19 inches). It has a reddish brown body covered in many brown and black spots, with denser spotting on its fins. Its head is covered in spines, it lacks a swim bladder, and it spends most of its time resting on the ocean floor. Distribution and habitat: This species is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Its main range extends from Santa Cruz in central California south along the coast of Baja California to Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. A small isolated population is also reported to live in the northern Sea of Cortez. It is a demersal marine fish that can be found at ocean depths as great as 183 metres (600 ft), though it most often occurs in shallower water up to roughly 30 metres (98 ft) deep. It lives along rocky bottoms just offshore, in bays, and inside underwater caves. This species does not stay in a fixed permanent territory. Mark and recapture experiments have recorded individuals traveling distances up to 200 kilometres (120 mi); one individual traveled from near Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands to Long Beach over approximately 14 months, and another individual traveled at an average rate of around 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) per day. Ecology: Scorpaena guttata acts as a host for multiple parasite species, including the copepods Bomolochus spinulus, Lepeophtheirus rotundipes, Naobranchia scorpaenae, Pseudodiocus scorpaenus, Hamaticolax spinulus, and Chondracanthus gracilis. One of its main predators is the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculatus), which is rarely injured by the fish's spines thanks to its soft, flexible flesh. Scorpaena guttata will also prey on small California two-spot octopuses in turn. Toxicity: Like many other scorpionfish, Scorpaena guttata has venom produced in glands located along its spines. It has historically been called "one of the most noxious marine animals in California waters", and its spines have caused many injuries to humans. Fishermen are most often hurt when removing the fish from a hook; when pulled out of the water, the fish flares the spines on its fins and gill covers, making it difficult to handle safely. The sharp spines themselves can puncture skin, and the venom introduces additional painful and systemic symptoms. The effects of a sting are described as feeling very similar to those of a rattlesnake bite. One recorded case of a finger prick from a spine caused severe throbbing pain, cyanosis of the affected finger, followed by swelling, hardening, warmth, redness, and then numbness in the digit. Pain spread up the arm to the axilla, which developed painful masses. Systemic symptoms included nausea, faintness, and cool, clammy, pale skin. The victim fully recovered within two weeks. Another victim developed pericarditis after being envenomated. Each spine of this fish has two longitudinal grooves filled with epithelial tissue that holds venom-secreting glands, and the entire spine is covered by a thin outer membrane sheath. When the spine penetrates a victim, the membrane sheath is pushed back, which helps inject venom into the wound. Lab studies confirm this venom is cardiotoxic, causing fluctuations in blood pressure and EKG changes including ventricular tachycardia and bundle branch block.
