All fish / Scorpaenidae

Eschmeyer's scorpionfish

Rhinopias eschmeyeri

Also known as eschmeyer's rhinopias, paddle-flap scorpionfish, paddle flap rhinopias, eschmeyer's rhinopias scorpionfish, rhinopias eschmeyer, paddleflap scorpionfish, ボロカサゴの仲間, エシュマイヤーズリノピアス, 艾氏狮头鲉, 艾氏鳞头鲉

A compressed, tall-bodied scorpionfish with an upturned snout, few skin flaps and a smooth, often solid body in red, pink, purple, yellow or brown. It walks slowly on its pectoral fins and sways like drifting debris, which makes it a prized and expensive showpiece for specialist reef keepers.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

16 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a compatible pair

Diet

Carnivore: live then frozen shrimp, mysis, silversides and small fish, often needs weaning onto dead foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Mauritius and Réunion to Indonesia, the Philippines and northern Australia

Breeding

It lays a buoyant gelatinous egg mass after pairing, and the larvae are planktonic. Captive spawning has been seen occasionally, but rearing the young is essentially unrecorded in home aquaria.

Good to know

Its fin spines are venomous and stings are very painful, so handle with care; it will swallow any fish or shrimp that fits in its mouth. Keep it away from fast, competitive feeders, and do not mistake it for the frillier weedy scorpionfish, Rhinopias frondosa.