Description

Also known as Eastern Fortesque, Fortesque Waspfish, Fortie, Pale Fortesque, Rockfish, Southern Bullrout, Southern Fortesque, Stingfish.

Found singly or in large schools, resting on the bottoms of sponge gardens and seagrass beds, over estuaries, coastal and in-shore reefs.
They feed on small fish and swimming invertebrates.
Length - 14cm
Depth - 1-30m
Western Pacific - Queensland to Victoria

Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage, enabling them to lie in wait for their victims to come close, before lunging forward and inhaling their prey with their large mouths.
When disturbed they raise the spines along their backs and will usually move off out of harms way, however, if cornered they are able to charge at considerable speed.
Highly dangerous and poisonous with venomous spines along its back if trodden on etc. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/6384