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FISH GUIDE · Sea

Small red scorpionfish: identification, habitat and fishing guide

Scorpaena notata

A small bottom-dwelling scorpionfish with difficult identification; do not touch its spines.

Catalogue names : Small red scorpionfish. Forms and names may vary between habitats.

Editorial review : · This species guide is not permission to fish. Read the precautions below and check the current rules for your location before targeting a species. Some species or populations are protected.

Geographical distribution

Documented presence includes: eastern Atlantic, from southern Brittany to Cape Verde ; Mediterranean, excluding the northern Adriatic in the source ; Azores and Canary Islands.

  • Documented presence : eastern Atlantic, from southern Brittany to Cape Verde
  • Documented presence : Mediterranean, excluding the northern Adriatic in the source
  • Documented presence : Azores and Canary Islands

Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.

Distribution sources

Identification

Very short flaps above the eyes; no flaps below the jaw. Compare several features.

Habitat

Rocks, cavities and coralligenous bottoms in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic.

Diet

Crustaceans and small fish.

Behaviour

A well-camouflaged ambush predator resting on the bottom.

Indicative biological size

About 15 cm in the DORIS description; a descriptive indication.

Fishing context and precautions

The CNR-IRBIM chapter on pages 130–133 names Scorpaena notata among scorpionfish caught with rods. It then details porcus and maderensis from shore, and scrofa mainly from boats: this does not justify attributing their rigs to notata. These mentions establish catches without validating a targeted rig specific to notata.

The Maltese study covering 2012–2017 records 177 catches of this species in shore competitions. Its bait tables remain collective: no taxon-specific bait–rig combination is inferred.

This sheet prepares for an accidental encounter: keep hands away from the spines and have an unhooking tool that keeps you at a distance. Do not probe cavities by hand or spread fins to identify the fish. If details remain invisible without risky handling, retain an uncertain identification.

A distinctive feature

Its larvae live in open water before settling on the bottom.

The 2019 ISPA study documents venom in this species’ dorsal and anal spines; also avoid contact with the anal fin.

Sources and review

Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.

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