Leaf Scorpionfish
Tiny, and often completely motionless, Leaf ScorpionFish are usually brilliantly coloured, with a characteristic dorsal fin shaped like a plant's leaf. It is also known as the PaperFish.
Often moving slowly from side to side, the Leaf Scorpionfish frequently mimics water currents to avoid detection from prey, while the mottled, irregular skin fools prey to come close, where it is swiftly gobbled up in a quick snap of the Leaf Scorpionfish's jaws.
Encounters:
Preferring calm waters, muck divers (in shallow reefs and bays) can frequently see Leaf Scorpionfish on the sea bottom, where it rests on it's fins, searching for prey. Photographers love the Leaf Scorpionfish for it's colorful appearance, and ease in which to photograph; used to being invisible, the Leaf Scorpionfish rarely swims off to take shelter.
Scientific name:
Scorpaenidae
Diet:
small fish, crustaceans, invertebrates
Facts:
freshwater leaf fish are common in Amazon River;
grows up to 10 cm, or 4 inches;
spines are venomous;
prefers warm tropical waters of Hawaii, and IndoPacific;
popular with saltwater aquarists;
frequently found on muck dives
Conservation and Research Agencies
As The Leaf Scorpionfish is not endangered, no conservation agencies exist.