Scorpaenopsis neglecta, the yellowfin scorpionfish or bandtail scorpionfish, is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific.
| Scorpaenopsis neglecta | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Scorpaenidae |
| Genus: | Scorpaenopsis |
| Species: | S. neglecta
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| Binomial name | |
| Scorpaenopsis neglecta | |
Taxonomy
editScorpaenopsis neglecta was first formally described in 1837 by the Austrian ichthyologist Johann Jakob Heckel with the type locality given as the "Sea of East Indies".[3] The specific name neglecta means "neglected" or "overlooked", a reference Heckel did not explain, although he may have been suggesting that this species had previously been misidentified as S. nesogallica.[4]
Description
editScorpaenopsis neglecta has a highly arched nap and front part of the body which leads to a humpback appearance. It has a wide space between the eyes.[5] There are 12 spines and 9 soft rays in its dorsal fin while its anal fin has 3 spines and 5 soft rays. There is a serrated ridge above the eye and the pterotic, lower posttemporal, and second suborbital spines are replaced by serrated ridges. The nuchal spine has 1 or 2 supplemental spines and the forward ridge of the lacrimal bone is serrated.[6] The pattern of this scorpion fish is made up of blotches and mottling coloured to camouflage it. There is a dark reddish band across the outer part of the tail just in from the margin, and there is frequently a yellowish patch on the operculum. The inner surface of the pectoral fin does not have any dark spots and has a black band across the upper rays near their tips with small dark spots where the pectoral fin joins the body.[7] This species reaches a maximum standard length of 19 cm (7.5 in).[6]
Distribution, habitat and biology
editScorpaenopsis neglecta has an Indo-West Pacific distribution, occurring as far west as India and Sri Lanka east to New Caledonia, north to southern Japan, and south to northern Australia,[1] where it is found from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Wollongong in New South Wales.[7] It is found on rock and coral reefs in shallow water,[5] as well as on sand and mud substrates, at depths down to 40 m (130 ft). It is normally a solitary species. It has venom glands in its fin spines.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b Motomura, H. & Matsuura, K. (2016). "Scorpaenopsis neglecta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69919009A70009985. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69919009A70009985.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ Nicolas Bailly (2008). "Scorpaenopsis neglecta Heckel, 1837". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Scorpaenopsis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Scorpaenopsis neglecta Heckel, 1837 Yellowfin Scorpionfish". Fishes of the Andaman Sea. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Scorpaenopsis neglecta". FishBase. August 2021 version.
- ^ a b Bray, D.J. (2018). "Scorpaenopsis neglecta". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
External links
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Media related to Scorpaenopsis neglecta at Wikimedia Commons- Photos of Scorpaenopsis neglecta on Sealife Collection
