Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Fish caught from shore off Roca de Ian, Bahia de Los Muertos, Baja California Sur, December 2021. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Brad Murakami, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Fish caught from coastal waters off Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur, July 2019. Length: 40 cm (16 inches).

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. White spotting on the underside of the pectoral fins. A key for the identification of the species.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Photograph of fish with zero, one, two and four spotted orange dorsal fin – unusual and perhaps indicative of a subspecies or different species!

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Some interesting prominent barring around the eyes not seen in all fish.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Fish caught from shore at El Cardonal, Baja California Sur, August 2020. Length: 20 cm (7.9 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Doug Bomeisler, Fort Pierce, Florida.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Fish collected off the beach at Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, November 2014. Length: 23 cm (9.1 inches). Photograph courtesy of Vikki Kaufmann.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Fish caught from coastal waters off Point Palmilla, February 2018. Length: 42 cm (17 inches). Most interesting head decor.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, March 2018 thru December 2019. Photographs courtesy of Maude Jette, Dive Zihuantanejo,  www.Divezihuatanejo.com. Identification of the fish in the first photograph above courtesy of H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, February 2020. Photographs courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, September 2021. Photograph courtesy of Kevin Erwin, Seattle, Washington.

Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes. Photograph taken of in very shallow coastal waters of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, December, 2022. Photograph courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

The Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family,  that is also known as the Pacific Spotted Scorpionfish and in Mexico as escorpión roquero. Globally, there are fifty-nine species in the genus Scorpaena, of which sixteen are found in Mexican waters, ten in the Atlantic and six in the Pacific Ocean.

The Stone Scorpionfish have spine-laden compressed elongated oval-shaped bodies that taper at both ends that has a body depth that is 36% to 40% of standard length. They vary significantly in color but are a more or less uniform drab mottled mixture of gray, brown, red, orange, green, and black. They have conspicuous barbels under their mouth and abundant skin flaps over their head and body, which afford them the appearance of a seaweed-encrusted rock. Their caudal fin is rounded, ragged, and has dark bars. A key to identification is that the base of their very large pectoral fins are dark with white spots arranged below (see photograph below). Their dorsal fin typically has 1 prominent black spot; however, I have seen fish with as many as four (see photograph above). They have disproportionately large mouths. Their head is very bony with numerous spines and is as broad as it is deep, it is covered with numerous skin flaps, it has medium-sized eyes, and there are shallow depressions (pits) before and after their eyes and a deep pit behind their eyes; the ridge below their eyes has 3 or 4 spines. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 5 or 6 rays; their dorsal fin has 12 spines and 9 or 10 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 18 to 21 rays. Their bodies are covered with large smooth scales.

The Stone Scorpionfish are found from the intertidal zone to depths up to 100 m (330 feet) in weed-covered reefs and open sand rubble areas. They reach a maximum of 49 cm (19 inches) in length, with a fish that I caught off the beach establishing this record. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 0.81 kg (1 lb 23 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Farallon de San Ignacio, Mexico, December 2022. They are a classic lie-in-wait ambush predators consuming fish and small invertebrates. The Stone 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 Stone Scorpionfish is found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Stone Scorpionfish cannot be confused with any other species due to its large head, numerous head skin flaps, and white spotting on the underside of its pectoral fin base.

From a conservation perspective the Stone Scorpionfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. The larger fish give the impression of being the meanest most ferocious species in the ocean and are an immediate “catch and release”. Caution: As with all Scorpionfish, the Stone Scorpionfish should be treated as “hazardous” and released as soon as possible, being careful not to allow their poisonous spines to penetrate the skin.