Fish ID... yes again.. :-)

[seahorsedreams]

K, last time we were aiming for an S minor and ended up with a Barbed scorpion.... not exactly on the same size scale.

We came across this guy which looks like a minor. Not sure if it is but we are thinking this guy may be an adult. One of the store employees had him for 6 months... he got him this size (3.5-4") and he never grew.

He's out of the photo box and into a QT so future pics won't be possible for 6 weeks.

Any idea what he is?

BTW, just in case it looks like we have some scary habits of buying fish we don't have an ID for. No matter if they are 3" or a foot we either have or will make a tank for anything we buy. We always have an "alternate" plan in case we are wrong.

 

[FMarini]

doesn't appear to be a scorpionfish, pec fins and posture are all wrong
Most likely a small grouper or chalk bass family member

Does it walk on the bottom of swim

 

[seahorsedreams]

We thought about a bass because of the shape....

He walks on his fins.

 

[seahorsedreams]

Here's a pic of him in his QT... it's hard to take pictures in this tank...

He likes to hide in holes and poke his head out. The guy who had him before said he rarely moved from his cave.

Another pic just for fun...

 

[seahorsedreams]

Can he be kept with my leafs and ambon and cockatoo if he's not what I originally thought he was? Can I get pictures that would possible help really ID him (spines etc)? If he didn't grow in the last 6 months do you think this is his adult size?

 

[kidako]

Is it in the scorpaenodes family
- scorpaenodes sp
- scorpaenodes varipinnis
or
scorpaena family

 

[predator 1]

I agree kidako, maybe "Scorpaenodes Xyris"?

 

[seahorsedreams]

K, to add another behaviour. He hangs upside down in his cave.

 

[FMarini]

After rethinking this, and reading your comments, I wanted to come back to this ID.
First off it does have the mail-cheek spine- so it is a scorpionfish.
But which one

I've seen a number of scorpionfish come in recently, & look alot like a newly described S. brevispina, but it isn't any of the ones listed above. I guess I'd say-- who knows -just enjoy it

Lastly, since its 6 months old (according to the LFS dude) its full grown, I suspect it will stay small

 

[Mentat]

Scorpaenodes varipinnis, S. xyris, and S. littoralis are close matches to your fish. The location of the dark opercular spot points to S. littoralis.

Try and take a look at your fish eyes' orbit; a single row of 3 suborbital ridge spines will confirm (or eliminate) S. littoralis. If you want to compare pics, head out to "Fishbase" and enter the genus on the search page. That will take you to a list of all species and you can navigate to each one from there and back.

Don't think will grow bigger, all 3 possibles max. out in the wild around 4-5 in. Good luck with this one, think it's very nice Scorpion.

 

[seahorsedreams]

Thank you everyone!

I'll let you know if I find anything out.... I'm off to look at some eye orbits.

Today is feeding day.... there are many orbit's pointed in my direction right now. I feel like a ghost shrimp.

 

[seahorsedreams]

One of the pics from the photo box.

He kept turning at bad angles so I had to add some motivation.

The guy at the LFS had only been feeding him live. Never tried to give him frozen because what would the point of a scorp tank be <_<

He had an awesome fuzzy and some leafs in there with him but turned it all in for a new theme.... for shame. I don't remember what unpleasantry I said but he was like "We work in a fish store, we trade them out all the time, what do you expect?". This fish practically walked to the kitchen table and stole a scallop off my dinner plate!

 

[FMarini]

renee-
you close up again confirms the mail-cheek spine- it is a scorpionfish.

I don't see 3 suborbital spines, however, but the head structures is correct for S. littoralis
if you got to fishbase you'll find a red s littoralis that is really close

Boy this is a tough one