Sebastapistes cyanostigma, the yellowspotted scorpionfish, coral scorpionfish or pink and yellow scorpionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to 10 cm in length.
| Sebastapistes cyanostigma | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Scorpaenidae |
| Genus: | Sebastapistes |
| Species: | S. cyanostigma
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| Binomial name | |
| Sebastapistes cyanostigma (Bleeker, 1856)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
Taxonomy
editSebastapistes cyanostigma was first formally described in 1856 as Scorpaena cyanostigma by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with the type locality given as Kajeli on Buru, one of the Molucca Islands in Indonesia.[3] The specific name cyanostigma is a compound of cyano, which means "blue", and stigma, meaning "mark" or "spot", an allusion to the pearly or light-blue spots on the body.[4]
Description
editSebastapistes cyanostigma has 12 spines and 9 or 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin and 3 spines and 5 or 6 soft rays in the anal fin. The maximum published standard length of 10 cm (3.9 in). although 6.4 cm (2.5 in) is more typical for this small scorpionfish.[2] The overall colour is pinkish to reddish with numerous very small whitish spots and large yellow blotches with yellowish fins.[5]
Distribution and habitat
editSebastapistes cyanostigma has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa as far south as South Africa east through the coasts and islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans as far east as Tonga, north to southern Japan and south to northern Australia.[1] In Australian waters it is found at the offshore reefs of north Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and the far north of the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs in the Coral Sea as far south as North Stradbroke Island in Queensland, as well as at Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.[5] It is found in shallow waters at depths between 2 and 30 m (6 ft 7 in and 98 ft 5 in) on reef crests with rich growths of coral in surge areas.[2]
Biology
editSebastapistes cyanostigma is a nocturnal ambush predator. In the day they hide mostly within the heads of corals in the genus Pocillopora, emerging at night to place themselves in a suitable site from which to ambush passing prey. They are frequently encountered in pairs or as small groups with the individual fish being separated by 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in). They feed on small fishes, crustaceans and zooplanktonic making short darts forward to capture prey and rarely leave the shelter of the reef to avoid predation. They are probably oviparous, like other closely related scorpionfishes, with the females releasing the internally fertilised egg which float near the surface. The observations of small groups in the Spring may be a mating behaviour.[6] It van also be found around fire corals in the genera Millepora and Stylophora.[1] The species has venomous fin spines.[2] The prey is engulfed in the relatively large mouth.[7]
Utilisation
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Motomura, H.; Matsuura, K. (2016). "Sebastapistes cyanostigma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69919569A70010025. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69919569A70010025.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Sebastapistes cyanostigma". FishBase. August 2021 version.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Sebastapistes". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ a b Bray, D.J. (2020). "Sebastapistes cyanostigma". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Alan Sutton (24 August 2016). "Yellow Spotted Scorpionfish – Facts and Photographs". Seaunseen. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Yellow-spotted Scorpionfish (Sebastapistes cyanostigma)". whatsthatfish.com. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Bob Goemans (2012). "Sebastapistes cyanostigma (Bleeker, 1856) Yellow-spotted Scorpionfish". Saltcorner Fish Library. Bob Goemans. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
External links
edit- Photos of Sebastapistes cyanostigma on Sealife Collection