Longspine Scorpionfish, Pontinus longispinis
Longspine Scorpionfish, Pontinus longispinis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, at a depth of 312 m (1,025 feet), November 2021. Length: 22 cm (8.7 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida.
The Longspine Scorpionfish, Pontinus longispinis, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, and known in Mexico as lapón mariposa. Globally, there are twenty-one species in the genus Pontinus, of which seven are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and four in the Pacific Ocean.
The Longspine Scorpionfish has a laterally compressed body. They are various shades of pink and red with a few dark red spots on the upper body and along the lateral line. They have rows of small spots on the caudal and second dorsal fin and a pink stripe on the outer margin of the first dorsal fin. Their head is enlarged, compressed, bulbous, with a short snout and very bony with numerous spines. They have large eyes and a few have slender and pointed eye cirri. They lack the “pits” after the eyes found in most other Scorpionfish. Their uppermost gill cover spine is the longest. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 6 rays; their caudal fin is square with a ragged margin; their dorsal fin originates above the eyes and has 12 spines, with the second and third being much longer than the others (the key to identification), and 9 or10 rays; and their pectoral fins have 17 or 18 rays. They have 12 short stout gill rakers. Their lateral line is complete and prominent. Their bodies are covered with rough scales.
The Longspine Scorpionfish is a demersal species that is found at depths between 75 m (2450 feet) and 611 m (2,000 feet) over reefs, sandy areas and within seagrass beds. They reach a maximum of 32 cm (13 inches) in length and 557 g (1 lb 4 oz) in weight. They are benthic carnivores, and all of their spines are believed to be venomous. The Longspine Scorpionfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Longspine Scorpionfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean being found throughout the Gulf of Mexico; they are absent from along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.
From a conservation perspective the Longspine Scorpionfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are small in stature and of limited interest to most.
Caution: As with all Scorpionfish, the Longspine Scorpionfish should be treated as “hazardous” and released as soon as possible, being careful not to allow their poisonous spines to penetrate the skin.