Scorpionfishes are well-known for their venomous spines that are capable of inflicting serious or even fatal wounds.   Fortunately Hawaiian species are not as dangerous but still worthy of respect and caution.  Stings should be treated by soaking the affected area in hot water.  They are ambush predators of fishes and crustaceans, using cryptic coloration to sit motionless until prey blunders into range.  Decoy Scorpionfishes undulate their spiny dorsal fin as a lure.  Most scorpionfishes will leave shelter at night to feed upon large zooplankton or small fish and crustaceans, while the Titan and Devil Scorpionfishes feed upon diurnal reef fishes.

Rockfishes consist of temperate species that don't appear prickly or stone-like.  They are important commercially but grow slowly and many are threatened.

Angel Ledge, Midway, 100 feet

Angel Ledge, Midway, 85 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Fairly common among rocks and seaweed in sandy areas at any depth but normally hidden by day.  Up to 7 inches.  

Twin Arches, Midway, 50 feet

Macaw Wreck, Midway, 25 feet

Phoenix, Midway, 40 feet

Deep Pocket, Midway, 80 feet

Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 30 feet

Twin Arches, Midway, 50 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Frequently seen among caverns and ledges at Midway but rare around the Main Hawaiian Islands due to aquarium collecting.  Up to 8 inches.

Corsair, Midway, 115 feet

Night, Black Rock, Oahu, 85 feet

Black Rock, Oahu, 85 feet

Uncommon under ledges and in caverns at depths greater than 50 feet.  Attains 5 inches.  Small black spot and yellow area on forward spiny dorsal fin.  Undulates its dorsal fin to attract prey.  Hawaii and the Indo-Pacific.

Angel Ledge, Midway, 80 feet

Corsair wreck, Midway, 115 feet

Corsair wreck, Midway, 115 feet

Rare from 200 to 400 feet but as shallow as 80 feet at Midway.  Always rare.  Up to 8 inches.  Hawaii and the Kii Peninsula in Japan.

Black Rock, Oahu, 50 feet

Blowhole, Oahu, 50 feet

Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 40 feet

Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 40 feet

Uncommon in Cauliflower Corals.  Up to 2 inches.  Reddish brown with fine white dots.  Indo-Pacific and Hawaii.

Night, Puako, Hawaii, 40 feet

Rarely seen within Finger Corals.  Up to 4 inches.  White bar on caudal peduncle and diagonal bar from pectoral to dorsal fin.  Hawaii and various islands in the Indian & Pacific Oceans.

Cargo Pier, Midway, 30 feet

Rare in Hawaii except at Midway, common in Japan.  Red eyes and dark spot on gill cover.  About 4 inches.  Subtropical locations in the Indian & Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea..  

Night, Makaha, Oahu, 25 feet

Night, Haleiwa Trench, Oahu, 25 feet

Uncommon in dark holes and caverns at scuba depths, usually seen at night when white saddles are prominent.  Up to 5 inches long.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Angel Ledge, Midway, 80 feet

Welles Harbor, Midway, 30 feet

Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 40 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Inhabits barren reefs and rubble zones.  Stout body with blunt head and protruding eyes.  Most common in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on dead barren reefs.  Up to 7 inches.

Haleiwa Beach, Oahu, 10 feet

Channel, Midway, 30 feet

North Beach, Midway, 10 feet

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Endemic to Hawaii.  Common in shallow water and tidepools, especially active at night.  Up to 5 inches.

Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 40 feet

Puako, Hawaii, 15 feet

Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 35 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 30 feet

Juvenile, Chromis, Midway Atoll, 35 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 20 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 25 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Now quite rare at scuba depths among large rocks and ledges due to spearfishing .  Common only in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.  Head is longer than the Devil Scorpionfish and color is mostly orange.  Up to 20 inches.

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 70 feet

Welles Harbor, Midway, 30 feet

Pitt Stop, Midway Atoll, 40 feet

Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 60 feet

Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 60 feet

Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 60 feet

Keaau, Oahu, 50 feet

Kewalo, Oahu, 35 feet

Kewalo, Oahu, 35 feet

Common on reefs to at least 200 feet.  Robust body with humpbacked appearance.  Sandy color mottled with brown and green, often overgrown by filamentous or coralline algae.  Attains 12 inches.  Hawaii and the Indo-Pacific.

Nanakuli, Oahu, 25 feet

Waimanalo, Oahu, 15 feet

Night, Blowhole, Oahu, 45 feet

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 25 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Common within Cauliflower and Antler Corals; feeds in the open at night.  Greenish-yellow with small brown dots and irregular patches by day.  Red and white with a few dark spots by night.  Up to 3.5 inches.

Kahe Point, Oahu, 30 feet

Blowhole, Oahu, 30 feet

Makapu'u, Oahu, 30 feet

Makapu'u, Oahu, 30 feet

Angel Ledge, Midway Atoll, 80 feet

Kewalo, Oahu, Hawaii, 50 feet

Kewalo, Oahu, Hawaii, 50 feet

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 50 feet

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet

Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet

Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet

Kaloko, Oahu, 6 feet

Kaloko, Oahu, 6 feet

YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 100 feet

Portlock, Oahu, 20 feet

Cryptic but not uncommon on reefs to at least 100 feet.  Highly compressed body with stout pectoral fins used for walking and support.  Rocks itself side-to-side, imitating a leaf or seaweed in the surge.  Pale yellow is most common, while bright green is rare.  Sheds its skin; able to change color somewhat.  Attains 4 inches.  Hawaii and the Indo-Pacific.

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 30 feet

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 10 feet

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 10 feet

Common on shallow reefs with lots of small fishes.  Feeds at dawn & dusk.  To nearly 2 feet long.

Mamanuca Islands, Fiji, 30 feet

Faga'alu, Tutuila, American Samoa, 6 feet

Occasional at any depth throughout the Indo-Pacific to Samoa.  Absent from Hawaii.  About 8 inches.

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 4 feet

Wakatobi, Indonesia, 4 feet

Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Rock Quarry, Catalina, California, 40 feet

Common on rocky reefs of California and Baja.  Up to 12 inches and erroneously called 'sculpin' by fishers.

Rock Quarry, Catalina, California, 20 feet

Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, 30 feet

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