Spotback Scorpionfish, Pontinus vaughani
Spotback Scorpionfish, Pontinus vaughani, Juvenile. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, February 2014. Length: 19 cm (7.5 inches).
Spotback Scorpionfish, Pontinus vaughani. Fish caught off the Gordo II Bank with the Gordo Banks Pangas fleet, Puerto Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, October 2022. Length: 33 cm (13 inches).
Spotback Scorpionfish, Pontinus vaughani. Fish caught off the Gordo II Bank, Baja California Sur, December 2021. Length: 41 cm (16 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Chip Shapley, Los Barriles, Baja California Sur.
The Spotback Scorpionfish, Pontinus vaughani, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, and known in Mexico as lapón lomo manchado. Globally, there are twenty-one species in the genus Pontinus, of which seven are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and four in the Pacific Ocean.
The Spotback Scorpionfish has a wide compressed body that increases in depth with maturity; their body depth is 31% to 37% of standard length. Overall they are pinkish-maroon with their head and body being a dark pink with yellow tinges on the upper half. Their head and body are covered with dense irregular pale blue spots. All their fins are heavily spotted with the exception of the anterior portion of their dorsal fin which has spines with wide yellow membranes and lacks spots. Their head is very bony with numerous spines. They have small mouths and small eyes. They lack the “pits” before and after the eyes found in most other Scorpionfish. The uppermost spine on their gill cover is the longest. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 4 rays; their caudal fin is straight or slightly rounded; their dorsal fin has 7 spines, the second and third being of equal length and longer than the others (a key to identification), and 9 or 10 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 19 to 20 rays. They have 14 to 21 gill rakers. Their body is covered with rough scales.
The Spotback Scorpionfish are found around rocky structures at depths between 30 m (100 feet) and 107 (350 feet). They reach a maximum of 56 cm (22 inches) in length. As of January 1, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 4.85 kg (10 lbs 11 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Alijos Rocks in June 2015. They are an exceedingly rare species with a very limited distribution and are seldom seen by humans. The Spotback Scorpionfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Spotback Scorpionfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific but have a limited distribution being found in isolated populations from La Paz, Baja California Sur, southward along the southeast coast of Baja and from Guerrero Negro, Baja California, southward along the central and southern coasts of Baja.
The Spotback Scorpionfish are simply a gorgeous fish and very easy to identify. They cannot be confused with any other species.
From a conservation perspective the Spotback Scorpionfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. Although fairly rare, is considered a good eating fish. However, they are difficult to handle, thus mostly a “catch and release”. Caution: As with all Scorpionfish, the Spotback Scorpionfish should be treated as “hazardous” and released as soon as possible, being careful not to allow their poisonous spines to penetrate the skin.