Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Perciformes (Order) > Scorpaenoidei (Suborder) > Scorpaenidae (Family) > Scorpaeninae (Subfamily) > Scorpaenopsis (Genus)

Rascasse à filaments, Papua scorpionfish, Papuan scorpionfish, 

Synonyme
Scorpaena papuensis (Cuvier, 1829)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5. Snout length > orbit diameter. Has a dark purplish blotch on the rear of the spinous dorsal fin. Juveniles with large, forward pointing tentacles above the eyes. Space on opercle between opercular spines scaled; penultimate dorsal spine 1.9-2.2 in length of last spine; reaches 195 mm SL (rarely over 170 mm). Max length : 25.0 cm TL. Depth range 1 - 40 m.

Etymology
Scorpaenopsis: from Latin, scorpaena = scorpion fish; from French, scorpène = Genus of fish acanthoptérygiens with a strange and hideous shape, call also sea toad, sea devil) + from Greek suffix, -opsis = appearance.

Distribution
Pacific Ocean: Indonesia and the Philippines to the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef and Fiji. Reported from New Caledonia.

Biology
Found in coral and rocky areas to depths over 40 m; also in coastal sand slopes, estuaries and lagoons, often in algae covered rubble zones. Solitary and difficult to see due to camouflage colors.  It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

Similar species
Scorpaenopsis possi (Randall & Eschmeyer, 2001) Reported from New Caledonia.
Scorpaenopsis venosa (Cuvier, 1829) Reported from New Caledonia.
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala (Bleeker, 1849) Not reported from New Caledonia.