Spotted Scorpionfish

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Fri 12 Aug 2016 22:07
Spotted Scorpionfish
 
 
 
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Looking carefully as we went, I saw a rare sighting for us – a spotted scorpionfish.
 
 
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Imagine having a red/green vision impairment and missing this chap altogether. I pointed him out to Bear and we spent ages asking him to pose rather than skitter off. I did try asking him to put his side wings out but there was a flat refusal.........
 
 
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Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfish, are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species. As the name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venomous mucus. The family is a large one, with hundreds of members. They are widespread in tropical and temperate seas, but mostly found in the Indo-Pacific.

 
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What a smashing beard.
 
 
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The lionfish is a relative of the scorpionfish. We saw this one skulking about..............
 
 
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.............before it slowly headed for the deep.
 
 
Lionfish-Cookbook  lionfish dish
 
The lionfish is not such a pest here as it is in the Caribbean – yet. The trouble is they are greedy feeders, taking twenty little chaps each meal and they can reproduce every month. Steps are being taken to reduce the numbers on the Atlantic side by encouraging people to learn how to prepare them safely and eat them. A cookbook and tasty dish.......... Such a pity as they do look rather majestic.
 
 
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Oh well, he was an add on to our spotted scorpionfish.
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL SMASHING TO SEE
                     AN UNCOMMON CHAP FOR US