Papuan Scorpionfish

Scorpaenopsis papuensis

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Genus: Scorpaenopsis
Species: Scorpaenopsis papuensis

The Papuan scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis papuensis) is a mottled scorpionfish with skin flaps and a humped back, coloured red, brown or grey to match the reef.

It grows to about 20 cm and lies motionless on the reef, ambushing small fish and crustaceans. Its fin spines are venomous.

The Papuan scorpionfish is found in the western Pacific, including the Philippines, where it lives on reefs and rubble. It is often mistaken for the Ambon scorpionfish.