Venomous and difficult to observe fish that blends in very well with the environment observed at Las Glorias.
Observer: I observed a strange fish along the coast of Guasave, at Las Glorias beach (Figure 1). It may be a type of Red Lionfish. I have not observed this fish in the 20 years that I've fished at this beach.
Ecology and marine resource management expert:
It is not a Red Lionfish, but it is similar. The fish is indeed from the Scorpaenidae family (the same family as the Red Lionfish); however, they belong to different genera. The invasive Red Lionfish in the Caribbean and Atlantic is Pterois volitans/miles. From the photo and size, I daresay this is a Stonefish or Scorpionfish (Scorpaena spp., perhaps S. guttata, but it’s uncertain).
The fish is not an invasive species; the distribution range of S. guttata includes the Gulf of California (Figure 2). The only thing to note is that S. guttata is known for the venom in its dorsal spines (Figure 3). The venom usually causes severe pain, swelling, nausea and vomiting.
Generally, seeing an organism such as this one draws a lot of attention. All Stonefish or Scorpionfish are known for blending in well with their environments. Even with our "trained eye", we rarely see them during our monitoring dives, but that doesn't mean they're not there. We are simply not able to differentiate the fish from a rock or the seabed.
Consultant:
Juan Carlos Villaseñor Derbez.
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
University of California, Santa Barbara.
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