About Scorpaena sumptuosa Castelnau, 1875
Scorpaena sumptuosa differs from most other Indo-Pacific Scorpaena species by having a maxillary ridge, a very deep occipital pit, thickened skin with many pores near the lateral line that covers the opercular spine, and two pairs of slender tentacles on the front of the lower jaw. It has 16 fin rays in its pectoral fin. This species is closely related to the ghost scorpionfish (Scorpaena gasta), but grows larger, has fewer tentacles on its flanks, and shows more variable colouration. It reaches a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 in). It is a deep-bodied species with a distinct hump on the shoulder. Tentacles cover its body, breaking up the body outline to provide camouflage, and its eyes are positioned high on the head. Its colour ranges from mottled red to brown, and is marked with two wide vertical bands on the body that extend out onto the fins. Scorpaena sumptuosa is endemic to Western Australia, where it occurs from Shark Bay in the north to Albany in the south. It inhabits coastal reefs at depths of up to 60 m (200 ft).
