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False Kelpfish
Sebastiscus marmoratus (Cuvier, 1829)
A False Kelpfish at a depth of 12 m, Green Point, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, July 1980. View larger image. Photo © Rudie Kuiter.
The False Kelpfish resembles the Kelpfish. These two fishes are in the families Scorpaenidae and Chironemidae respectively. They can be separated by the False Kelpfish's larger mouth, spiny operculum and the presence of a suborbital stay.
The colouration of this fish is variable from yellowish to brown or red with a blotched pattern.
It grows to 30 cm in length.
This species occurs in coastal marine waters from Hokkaido, Japan to the Philippines. It has also been introduced to Australia, most likely in the ballast water of ships.
In Australia it is only known from Sydney Harbour, New South Wales.
Australian Museum Postdoctoral Research Fellow Hiroyuki Motomura is a scorpionfish expert. He is very keen to obtain more specimens and photographs of this species.
Related links
- View the Scorpionfish list
Further reading
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
