Scorpaena plumieri

Scorpaena plumieri, the spotted scorpionfish, is a species of a venomous fish found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Scorpaena plumieri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Scorpaeniformes
Family:	Scorpaenidae
Genus:	Scorpaena
Species:	S. plumieri
Binomial name
Scorpaena plumieri Bloch, 1789

Description

It has a robust body, with a dorsal fin with 12 spines, nine soft rays, and the pectoral fin with 18–21 fin rays. Venom glands are associated with dorsal fin spines to defend against predators. It has a suborbital crest formed by infraorbital bones, two and three, with two spines respectively. Under the eyes, they have fleshy plumes, known as "cirrae", with flaps of skin around the chin and head. They have wide and fan-shaped pectoral fins, the dorsal fin is continuous and notched, while the caudal fin is truncated. The maxilla reaches beyond the eyes and the mouth is terminal. It has a well developed occipital pit. It is the largest scorpion fish in the Atlantic and Caribbean Ocean, the largest reported size was 45 cm long, although on average, this species grows from 18 to 36 cm, and can weigh 1.55 kg.

The color of this species varies from brown to black with a light background, the areas before the caudal fin are abruptly paler. The head has dark spots, the ventral surface is orange / red. Its fins have dark bands and spots, with a light background, but most often with green spots. In the middle and near the end, the tail fin has dark bars. Inside the fins of the chest, it is stained white. When It feels threatened, the pectoral fins extend and display a bright color.[1]

Distribution and habitat

It inhabits the western Atlantic Ocean, from Bermudas to Massachusetts, from the northern Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil. It is also found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, around Ascension Island and St. Helena. They inhabit shallow coral reefs and rocky areas, moderately common from 5–55 meters deep. It remains motionless, on the lower substrate, waiting for prey to attack.[1]

Diet

Like other scorpion fish, these animals do not actively hunt, as they are ambush predators, camouflaging themselves to approach prey. It uses its large mouth as a vacuum and sucks its prey quickly, preys of this species include fishes and crustaceans.[1]

Reproduction

The reproduction of these animals is not well known, it is known that it is oviparous, with the female producing transparent or greenish eggs.[1]

Predators

The main predators of this species include the schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus), and mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis).[1]

Danger

The spines located on the back of the fish can inject venom, so these animals can pose a danger to humans. The venom is composed of hemorrhagic, hemolytic and proteolytic activities, as well as cardiotoxins, which result in a drop in blood pressure, and heart and respiratory rate. Symptoms include excruciating pain at the site, followed by edema, erythema and occasionally skin necrosis, other symptoms include adenopathy, nausea, vomiting, agitation, malaise, sweating, tachycardia, arrhythmias, difficult to breath and severe hypotension. The main treatment for pain is to immerse the affected limb in hot water (45–50 ° C) until the pain is relieved. The LD50 for the venom of this species is 0.28 mg / kg.[2][3]

References

1. "Scorpaena plumieri". Florida Museum. 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
2. Campos, Fabiana V.; Menezes, Thiago N.; Malacarne, Pedro F.; Costa, Fábio L. S.; Naumann, Gustavo B.; Gomes, Helena L.; Figueiredo, Suely G.; Campos, Fabiana V.; Menezes, Thiago N.; Malacarne, Pedro F.; Costa, Fábio L. S. (00/2016). "A review on the Scorpaena plumieri fish venom and its bioactive compounds". Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 22: 35. doi:10.1186/s40409-016-0090-7. ISSN 1678-9199. PMC 5175314. PMID 28031733. Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. Santhanam, Ramsamy (2018-09-25). Biology and Ecology of Venomous Marine Scorpionfishes. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-815834-0.