Written by Kimberly Krebs. Sea Things is a new regular feature where a different sea creature will be profiled. Look for it weekly.
I guess it's a matter of opinion whether this fish is ugly or not. He is the Spotted Scorpionfish, or
Scorpaena plumieri. They scare me a little, and it's both because they're not particularly attractive to look at, and also because they're incredibly poisonous. These fish are extremely good at camouflage. So much so that I've sometimes pointed them out to someone and they've had
no clue what I was pointing at. Due to the venom in their spines, it's not a good thing if you can't see them. In Bonaire at least, they can often be found in the shallows. For this reason, wear booties when walking in the water, and do a "shuffle step" to scare away any fish that you may be likely to step on. Scorpionfish often rest on rocks or on a sandy bottom, happily camouflaged and unseen.
