Pterois antennata
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Scorpaeniformes (Lionfish, Stonefish and others)
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)
Pterois
Pterois antennata
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Reddish to tan with many dark bars on body; median fins with scattered dark spots; tentacle above eye long and with dark bands (Ref. 4313). Adults with bluish black blotches near the base of the pectoral fins (Ref. 48635)
Description: Characterized by narrow and oblique brown to reddish-brown bars on caudal peduncle; three dark brown bars on head including one through eye that ends at large blackish or dark brown spot on subopercle; dorsal spines free of membrane except basally; enlarged and wing-like pectoral fins with rays free of membrane on outer one-half to three-fourths, all rays unbranched; body depth 2.5-2.7 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Marquesan and Mangaréva islands, north to southern Japan, south to Queensland, Australia and Kermadec (Ref. 8879) and Austral islands.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 2-86 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs, seagrass beds.
Biology
Occurs in lagoon and seaward reefs. Hides in crevices under rocks and coral formations during the day and hunts at night. Typically with head towards the safety of their hide-out or narrow passage (Ref. 48635). Feeds on shrimps and crabs. Venomous and capable of inflicting a painful sting. Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 30874. Solitary or in groups, under ledges and holes (Ref. 37816).
Max length: 20.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2015-03-03. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial.
References
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Eschmeyer, W.N. (1986) Scorpaenidae. p. 463-478. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Myers, R.F. (1999) Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
Iwamoto, T. and J.E. McCosker (2014) Deep-water fishes of the 2011 Hearst Philippine biodiversity expedition of the California Academy of Sciences. pp. 263-332. In Williams, G.C. and T.M. Gosliner (eds.) 2014. The Coral Triangle: the 2011 Hearst Philippine biodiversity expedition. California: San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences, 593 p.
Patzner, R.A. (2008) Reproductive strategies of fish. pp. 311-350. In Rocha, M.J., A. Arukwe and B.G. Kapoor (eds). Fish reproduction: cytology, biology and ecology. Science Publisher, Inc. Oxford. 631 p.
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