reddish scorpionfish
Scorpaena russula · Scorpaenidae · predator
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
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
—
hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the reddish scorpionfish
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.
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
—
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.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: