Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus Greenfield & Matsuura 2002

Other Names: Fourspine Scorpionfish, Furry Coral Scorpionfish

Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus from the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia - USNM 409127. Source: Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Fishes. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:

A small pale pink to deep reddish scorpionfish with two dark bands on cheek radiating from eye, four indistinct dark bands on body, small reddish to blackish spots scattered on fin-rays, a vertical reddish band on caudal-fin base, and no distinct black blotches on opercle or subopercle.

Cite this page as:

Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 03 Oct 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2716

Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus Greenfield & Matsuura 2002

More Info

Distribution	Recorded in the Australian EEZ from off Cartier Island, Timor Sea, off north Western Australia, and from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean; tropical East-Indo-West Pacific. Inhabits high surge areas on outer reef flats, and surge channels on exposed reefs.
Features	Meristic features: Dorsal fin XIII, 10-11; Anal fin III, 5-6; Pectoral fin usually 17; Vertical scale rows 39-43. Three suborbital spines, first extending dorsally above ventral margin of orbit (vs. spine tip in line with suborbital ridge and not projecting dorsally in the latter); anterior and posterior lacrimal spines simple, poorly developed; dorsal lacrimal bone with 1 (rarely 2) small, dorsally directed spine; no spine at lacrimal ridge; lateral lacrimal spine simple, well developed; anterior and posterior lacrimal spines simple, poorly developed; dorsal lacrimal bone with 1 (rarely 2) small, dorsally directed spine; no spine at lacrimal ridge; lateral lacrimal spine simple, well developed; interorbital and coronal spines usually present.
Colour	Body strongly variegated, mainly from pale pink to dense red, with 4 indistinct, vertical, dark bands on lateral surface of body; first band above opercle, second between middle of spinous portion of dorsal fin and pectoral fin, third below ninth to twelfth spines of dorsal fin, and fourth below softrayed portion of dorsal fin. All fins, except for spinous portion of dorsal fin, pinkish to reddish, with small reddish to blackish spots scattered on rays. Caudal-fin base with a vertical, reddish band, its width less than pupil diameter. No distinct black blotches on opercle or subopercle.
Etymology	Scorpaenodesis from the Latin scorpaena meaning 'a kind of fish', and the Greek oides meaning 'similar to'. The specific name quadrispinosus is from the Latin quattor meaning 'four' and spina meaning 'spine', in reference to the four suborbital spines that are diagnostic for this species.
Species Citation	Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus Greenfield & Matsuura, 2002, Copeia 2002(4): 973, Figs. 1-2A . Type locality: barrier reef off Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji, depth 4.6-6.4 metres.

Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus Greenfield & Matsuura 2002

References

Greenfield, D.W. & Matsuura, K. 2002. Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus: a new Indo-Pacific scorpionfish (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae). Copeia 4: 973-978.

Motomura, H. 2010. Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. . Downloaded on 16 December 2014.

Motomura, H., Ogihara, G. & Hagiwara, K. 2010. Distributional range extension of a scorpionfish, Scorpaenodes quadrispinosus, in the Indo–Pacific, and comments on synonymy of S. parvipinnis (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae). Pp 17-26. In Motomura, H. & K. Matsuura. Fishes of Yaku-shima Island - A world heritage island in the Osumi Group, Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, viii + 264 pp., 704 figs.

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.