reddish scorpionfish
Scorpaena russula
Small scorpionfish of coastal Pacific waters, from Mexico to Peru. It has venomous spines and is caught by commercial fishing.
Also called: escorpião-avermelhado, escorpión sapo, pez zapo, reddish scorpionfish
- maximum
- 15 cm
- depth
- 10–60 m
who is the reddish scorpionfish
The reddish scorpionfish is a small fish of the family Scorpaenidae, growing to 15 cm, with a common size of 9 cm. It has a stout body and a large, spiny head, the typical form of the family. It lives in coastal Pacific waters, at depths of 10 to 60 m, from Culiacán, Mexico, to Peru. Like other scorpionfishes, it waits hidden on the bottom for prey. It has venomous fin spines, so handle it with care. It appears in commercial fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the reddish scorpionfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Small scorpionfish with a stout body and spiny head, like others in the family. The name points to a reddish tone on the body. It resembles the plumed scorpionfish (Scorpaena histrio) and the California scorpionfish (Scorpaena guttata), but it is much smaller: it reaches 15 cm, while the others reach 26 cm and 43 cm.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern Pacific, from Culiacán, Mexico, to Peru, in coastal waters, with records in Central America and northwestern South America.
Habitat: Coastal waters, on bottoms 10 to 60 m deep.
rules for the reddish scorpionfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It has venomous spines on its fins. Use pliers or gloves to hold the fish, and release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 2.93; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Scorpaena russula (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scorpaena russulaNames by country and language.
