Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads) >
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes) > Scorpaeninae
Etymology: Scorpaenopsis: Latin, scorpaena = a kind of fish, 1706 + Greek, opsis = appearance (Ref. 45335); insperatus: The specific epithet comes from Latin meaning 'unexpected' due to the unexpected discovery of this species in a harbour in the midst of the metropolitan area.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range ? - 14 m (Ref. 58018). Subtropical, preferred ?
Southwestern Pacific: known only from 2 specimens collected at Chowder Bay, Sydney Harbour, Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 54738)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 12;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 9;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 5;
Vertebrae: 24. No median interorbital ridge; well-developed interorbital ridges conjoined at anterior edge of occipital pit; upper opercular and posterior lacrimal spines simple, not divided; 30-34 longitudinal scale rows; 3 suborbital spines; fifth dorsal fin spine longest; large orbit diameter (5.4-5.6 in HL); short snout length (3.7-3.9 in HL) less than orbit diameter; narrow interorbital width (5.4-5.6 in HL) less than orbit diameter; narrow space between ventral margin of eye and suborbital ridge.
Found on sandy bottom at depth of 14.4 m.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Motomura, H., 2004. Scorpaenopsis insperatus: a new species of scorpionfish from Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae). Copeia 2004(3):546-550. (Ref. 54738)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01778 (0.00686 - 0.04609), b=3.03 (2.80 - 3.26), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.6 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (17 of 100) .