Full size Small Rockfish, Scorpaena notate, on algae covered rock.

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Family Scorpidae, Scorpionfish. Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage hiding motionless till their prey, smaller fishes, are close enough to be caught. Their dorsal spines are poisonous, a defending strategy against bigger predators. This picture was taken at the HMS Maori in Malta.

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Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: Valletta, Malta
Photo credit: © Rasmus Loeth Petersen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: actinopterygii, algae, black, blue, brown, camouflage, cirkewwa, dark, dive, diving, dot, eye, fin, fins, fish, fishes, green, hms, malta, maori, marine, mediterranean, notate, ocean, orange, perch-likes, perciformes, poisonours, ray-finned, rockfish, scorpaena, scorpidae, scorpionfish, scuba, sea, spot, tail, underwater, vertebrate, white, yellow