spotback scorpionfish
Pontinus vaughani
Bottom-dwelling scorpionfish of the Mexican Pacific, from Baja California to the oceanic islands of Clipperton, Clarion and Revillagigedo. It is a good food fish.
Also called: escorpião-de-dorso-manchado, lapón lomo manchado, spotback scorpionfish
- maximum
- 44 cm
who is the spotback scorpionfish
The spotted-back scorpionfish is a bottom fish of the family Scorpaenidae, found in the tropical eastern Pacific, from Baja California to the islands of Clipperton, Clarion and Revillagigedo, in Mexico. It grows to 44.3 cm standard length. It lives close to the bottom and, like other scorpionfishes, waits motionless for its prey. It is considered a good food fish and appears in commercial fishing. It poses no danger to anglers, but its spines deserve care, as with any scorpionfish.
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 spotback scorpionfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Scorpionfish with a stout body and spiny head, typical of the family. The popular names refer to spots on the back. It is much larger than the Sonora scorpionfish (Scorpaena sonorae) and the reddish scorpionfish (Scorpaena russula), which reach up to 16 cm, since this one reaches 44.3 cm. It lives close to the bottom, in Baja California and on the oceanic islands, and its colour blends with the substrate.
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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
In Mexico, in the tropical eastern Pacific, from Baja California to Clipperton, Clarion and Revillagigedo islands.
Habitat: Demersal bottoms of the tropical eastern Pacific, near Baja California and oceanic islands.
rules for the spotback 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.
Poses no danger to anglers, but the fin spines deserve care. Hold the fish with pliers and release it carefully.
in the kitchen
It is considered a good food fish.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01288, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Pontinus vaughani (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pontinus vaughaniNames by country and language.
