Red Scorpionfish - Scorpaena scrofa - Camouflaged beneath a Rocky Ledge

A Red Scorpionfish rests beneath a rocky ledge, its reddish mottling and fringed skin perfectly disguising it against the Mediterranean seabed.

The Red Scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa) is a large, heavily built bottom-dwelling fish with a broad head, large mouth and numerous fleshy appendages around the head and body. Its colour varies from reddish and orange-brown to darker brown, with irregular blotches that provide excellent camouflage against rocks, algae and the surrounding seabed. The prominent dorsal spines contain venom and provide an effective defence against predators. A solitary and sedentary ambush predator, it remains almost motionless while waiting for fishes, crustaceans and molluscs to come within reach. The species occurs throughout the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic over rocky, sandy and muddy bottoms and can reach about 50 centimetres in total length.