Black scorpionfish

Did you know ?

It lays several thousand eggs held together in a gelatinous mass that floats on the surface

This small scorpionfish is no more than 25cm long with a brownish-grey or reddish body mottled with darker colours. Unlike other species, it does not have a skin flap on its lower jaw. It is a master of mimicry and can camouflage itself so well that it becomes practically invisible to escape its predators and surprise its pray, lying in wait on the bottom for a crustacean or fish to come within range. It is found in Posidonia seagrass beds and on rocky bottoms down to 800m all over the Mediterranean, and from the British Isles to Senegal in the Atlantic.