Weedy scorpionfish in Sodwana
Photo by Andrew Taylor
Weedy scorpionfish in Sulawesi, Indonesia
Photo by Guido Zsilavecz
Paddle-flap scorpionfish in Sulawesi, Indonesia, showing what the fish actually looks like - add some fronds and you have the other species!
Photo by Guido Zsilavecz
This is a truly bizarre member of the already bizarre scorpionfish family. The weedy scorpionfish is very aptly named, and has so many growths all over it that one needs to look at the related paddle-flap scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) to see what the fish actually looks like! The weedy scorpionfish ranges throughout the Indo-West-Pacific, from Mauritius to south Japan, but is rare within South African waters. In tropical regions, such as Indonesia, it is much more common. The paddle-flap scorpionfish does not occur in South Africa, although it is found in Mauritius. As with most scorpionfish they rely on camouflage to ambush their prey.
Smiths' Sea Fishes, MM Smith and PC Heemstra, 1986.
Reef Fish Identification - Tropical Pacific, G Allen, R Steene, P Humann, N Deloach, 2003.