Biogeography 12.
127–131. Aug. 20, 2010

Scorpaena onaria (Scorpaenidae), Previously Considered toHave an Antitropical Distribution, Found in Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia,
Western Central Paciﬁc Ocean
Hiroyuki Motomura1* and Teguh Peristiwady2
1
The Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065 Japan
2
Technical Implementation Unit for Marine Biota Conservation, Indonesian Institute of Science,
J1 Tandurusa, Kel. Tandurusa, Kotamadya Bitung, 95227 Indonesia

Abstract. A single specimen (150.0 mm standard length) of the scorpionﬁsh (Scorpaenidae), Scorpaena
onaria, was collected off Bitung, northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. The species has previously been known only
from East Asia and Australasia and been considered to represent an antitropical distribution; thus the Indonesian
specimen is described herein as the ﬁrst record of S. onaria from the western central Paciﬁc Ocean. The
Indonesian specimen indicates that S. onaria is widely and continuously distributed in the western Paciﬁc
where it ranges from Korea and Japan to Australia and New Zealand.
Keywords: Scorpaenidae, scorpionﬁsh, Scorpaena onaria, Indonesia, northern population.

Introduction
The scorpionﬁsh, Scorpaena onaria, originallydescribed by Jordan and Snyder (1900) from Misaki
on the Paciﬁc coast of Japan, was redescribed by Motomura et al. (2005), with discussions of its distribution,
morphological changes with growth, sexual dichromatism, and biology. Motomura et al. (2005, 2007) recognized that the species represents an antitropical
distribution (East Asia and Australasia).
During ichthyofaunal surveys of Bitung, northern
Sulawesi, Indonesia, a single specimen of S. onaria
was collected from a depth of 20–30 m off Lembeh
Island at Bitung. The specimen are described hereinas the ﬁrst reliable record of S. onaria from the tropical region in the western Paciﬁc Ocean.
Counts and measurements followed Motomura etal. (2005, 2007). The last two soft rays of the dorsal
and anal ﬁns were counted as single rays, each pair*
Corresponding author: motomura@kaum.kagoshima-u.
ac.jp

being associated with a single pterygiophore. Standard
length is expressed as SL. Terminology of head spines
followed Randall and Eschmeyer (2002: ﬁg. 1) andMotomura (2004: ﬁg. 1) with the following addition:
the spine on the lateral surface of the lacrimal bone isreferred to as the lateral lacrimal spine (Motomura andSenou 2008: ﬁg. 2). The specimen of S. onaria fromIndonesia is deposited at the Reference Collection of
LIPI Bitung (LBRC–F), Technical Implementation
Unit for Marine Biota Conservation, Indonesian Institute of Science, Bitung, Indonesia.
Scorpaena onaria Jordan and Snyder(Fig. 1)
Scorpaena onaria Jordan and Snyder, 1900: 365, pl.
16 (type locality: Misaki, Japan); Motomura et al.,2005: 865, ﬁgs. 1–7 (southwestern Paciﬁc; comparisons of southern population with northern
population; redescription); Motomura et al., 2007:
42, ﬁgs. 2B, 3 (southwestern and northwestern
Paciﬁc; review).

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First record of Scorpaena onaria from the western central PacificFig. 1. Fresh specimen of Scorpaena onaria from Bitung, Indonesia (LBRC–L 2052, 150.0 mm SL).

Material examined. LBRC–F 2052, 150.0 mm SL,
off Lembeh Island, Bitung, Sulawesi, Indonesia, 20–30
m, line-ﬁshing, 5 Oct. 2009, purchased by Teguh
Peristiwady at Girian Fish Market.
Description. Dorsal-ﬁn rays XII, 9. Anal-ﬁn rays
III, 5. Pelvic-ﬁn rays I, 5. Pectoral-ﬁn rays 16 on bothsides; uppermost ray and lower 9 rays unbranched,remaining rays branched. Longitudinal scale rows 48.
Pored lateral-line scales 23. Scale rows between originof sixth dorsal spine and lateral line 10. Scale rows
between origin of last dorsal spine and lateral line 10.
Scales above lateral line 7, below lateral line 17. Gillrakers on upper limb 5, lower limb (including a raker
at angle) 11, including 2 rakers on hypobranchial;
total rakers 16. Branchiostegal rays 7. The following
morphometrics are expressed as percentage of SL:
Body depth 33.8; body width 24.9; head length 49.1;
snout length 12.5; orbit diameter 12.3; interorbital
width at middle of eye 6.3; interorbital width between
preocular spine bases 5.5; head width 15.5; upper-jaw
length 23.1; maxillary depth 7.2; suborbital space 2.7;
postorbital length 25.9; distance between tips of opercular spines 6.5; occipital pit length 6.3; occipital pit
width 6.3; post-occipital pit length 9.6; supraoculartentacle length 10.3 on both sides of head; predorsal

length 39.9; preanal length 76.7; prepelvic length 43.7;
ﬁrst dorsal-ﬁn spine length 9.3; second dorsal-ﬁn spine
length 16.0; third dorsal-ﬁn spine length 20.2; fourth
dorsal-ﬁn spine length 19.7; ﬁfth dorsal-ﬁn spine length
18.3; eleventh dorsal-ﬁn spine length 9.7; twelfth
dorsal-ﬁn spine length 16.5; longest dorsal-ﬁn soft ray(second ray) length 20.2; ﬁrst anal-ﬁn spine length 9.9;
second anal-ﬁn spine length 20.5; third anal-ﬁn spine
length 17.4; longest anal-ﬁn soft ray (ﬁrst ray) length
22.5; longest pectoral-ﬁn ray (eighth ray) length 29.5;
pelvic-ﬁn spine length 17.0; longest pelvic-ﬁn soft ray(second ray) length 25.6; caudal-ﬁn length 28.1; caudal-peduncle length 15.5; caudal-peduncle depth 10.0.
Body moderately compressed anteriorly, progressively more compressed posteriorly. Nape and anterior body moderately arched. Body moderately deep,
but less than head length. Numerous small papillae on
head, especially dorsal surface of head, snout andlateral surface above suborbital ridge; numerous tinytentacles and cirri on head. A long tentacle on posterior end of supraocular spine base, its length greaterthan pupil diameter. Several small tentacles on upper
part of outer margin of eye. Posterior lacrimal spine
associated with a large ﬁmbriate ﬂap, its length lessthan supraocular tentacle, linked posteriorly to head

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Hiroyuki Motomura and Teguh Peristiwady

by fringed skin. A few small tentacles associated withpored lateral-line scales. Pectoral-ﬁn axil without askin ﬂap. No distinct tentacles on lateral surface ofbody, except pored lateral line.
Cycloid scales covering an area bound by posterior
tips of upper and lower opercular spines and opercularmargin (but not on opercular margin); embedded cycloid
scales (some scales exposed) covering an area surrounded by upper preopercle, lower posttemporal andupper opercular spines; embedded cycloid scales covering an area surrounded by postorbital, sphenotic,
pterotic and upper preopercle; other parts of head notcovered with scales. Well-exposed ctenoid scales covering entire lateral surface of body, but not extending
onto rays or membranes of ﬁns, except basal caudal
ﬁn. Exposed cycloid scales covering ventral surface ofbody between ﬁrst anal-ﬁn spine base and front of anus.
Embedded cycloid scales covering ventral surface ofbody anterior to front of anus, including breast andbetween pelvic ﬁns, and pectoral-ﬁn base; scales onpectoral-ﬁn base covered by thin skin. Lateral line
sloping steeply downward above anterior half of pectoral ﬁn.
Mouth large, slightly oblique, forming an angle ofabout 25 degrees to horizontal axis of head and body.
Posterior margin of maxilla extending beyond a vertical through posterior margin of pupil, but not reaching
posterior margin of orbit. Lateral surface of maxilla
smooth, without ridges, tentacles, or scales. Lower jaw
with a symphyseal knob. Width of symphyseal gap
separating premaxillary teeth bands slightly greaterthan width of each band. Upper jaw with a band of
short, incurved, conical teeth. Tooth band of upper jaw
slightly wider than that of lower jaw. Lower jaw witha band of villiform teeth, lengths of most teeth shorter
than those of upper jaw. Vomer and palatines withvilliform teeth; width of vomer plate subequal to lengthof palatine plate. Underside of dentary with 3 sensory
pores on each side, ﬁrst pore below tip of anterior
lacrimal spine, second pore (covered by thin skin)below posterior lacrimal spine, third pore located on
posterior margin of dentary. A pore behind symphyseal knob of lower jaw on each side. Underside oflower jaw smooth, without ridges or tentacles.

Dorsal proﬁle of snout steep, forming an angle ofabout 50 degrees to horizontal axis of head and body.
Nasal spine simple, conical, directed upward. Anterior nostril with a distinct tentacle, its length greaterthan nasal spine. Ascending process of premaxilla not
intruding into interorbital space, its posterior margin
not extending beyond level with posterior margin of
posterior nostril. Median interorbital ridge present,
beginning just behind posterior margin of ascending
process of premaxilla and ending midline slightly
posterior to posterior end of preocular spine base.
Interorbital ridges well developed, separated by a deepchannel, beginning posterior to nasal spines and thenconjoined level with, and between origins of, tympanic spines, forming a distinct ridge to anterior angular edge of occipital pit. Interorbital ridges diverging
anteriorly and posteriorly in dorsal view, distance
between interorbital ridges narrowest at a vertical
midline through eye. Interorbital space moderately
deep, about one-third of orbit extending above dorsal
proﬁle of head. Preocular spine simple, directed nearly upward. Supraocular spine simple, its tip located atvertical midline of eye. Postocular spine simple, its
length slightly less than tympanic spine. Tympanic
spine simple, strongly pointed. Bases of tympanic
spines joined with interorbital ridges and a transverse
ridge in front of occipital pit. Coronal, interorbital andpretympanic spines absent. A distinct transverse ridge(formed from posterior part of interorbital ridges)
anterior to occipital pit slightly curved posteromedially in dorsal view. Occipital pit shallow, center of pit
usually slightly convex. A distinct transverse ridge inrear of occipital pit between bases of nuchal spines.
Occipital pit surrounded laterally by tympanic spines,
parietal spines, and low ridges between tympanic andparietal spines. Parietal spine simple, its base curving
into occipital pit. Nuchal spine simple; nuchal andparietal spines joined at base. Sphenotic with 2 small
spines. Postorbital smooth. Pterotic spine simple. Upper posttemporal spine simple, pointed, small, directed dorsoposteriorly, its length much shorter thanlower posttemporal spine. Lower posttemporal spine
simple, its base length greater than that of pterotic
spine. Supracleithral spines simple, ﬂattened. Cleithral– 129 –

First record of Scorpaena onaria from the western central Pacificspine ﬂattened, pointed.
Lateral lacrimal spine present. Anterior lacrimal
spine pointed, directed forward, its tip reaching dorsal
margin of upper-jaw lip; a second short spine present
at anterior lacrimal spine base. Posterior lacrimal spine
simple, directed ventroposteriorly, its tip reaching
upper-jaw lip. Posterior lacrimal spine larger thananterior spine. Suborbital ridge with 3 spines, ﬁrst spine
slightly posterior to midline of eye, second and third
spines behind orbit. Broad space between ventral
margin of eye and suborbital ridge. Suborbital pit
absent. Preopercle with 5 spines, uppermost spine
largest with a supplemental preopercular spine on its
base, third to ﬁfth spines without a median ridge, directed posteriorly. Preopercle, between uppermost
preopercular spine and upper end of preopercle, without serrae or spines. Upper opercular spine simple witha low median ridge. Lower opercular spine simple witha distinct median ridge. Space between upper andlower opercular spines (with a low ridge on right sideof head) not covered with ﬂeshy skin. Posterior tips ofupper and lower opercular spines not reaching opercular margin.
Origin of ﬁrst dorsal-ﬁn spine above posterior tolower posttemporal spine base. Posterior margin of
opercular membrane extending beyond a verticalthrough origin of fourth dorsal-ﬁn spine. Posterior tipof pectoral ﬁn not reaching a vertical through originof last dorsal-ﬁn spine, but extending slightly beyonda vertical through tip of depressed pelvic ﬁn. Posterior tip of depressed pelvic ﬁn not reaching to anus.
Origin of pelvic-ﬁn spine posterior to origin of pectoral ﬁn. Origin of ﬁrst anal-ﬁn spine slightly posterior
to origin of last dorsal-ﬁn spine.
Remarks. The above characters of the present
specimen from Indonesia agreed with characters of
Scorpaena onaria given by Motomura et al. (2005,2007), with the exception of 16 pectoral-ﬁn rays oneach side of the body in the Indonesian specimen [vs.
usually 17 rays on each side of body (ca. 82% of 54
specimens examined), rarely asymmetrically 16 and
17 rays (ca. 6%) or 17 and 18 rays (ca. 10%), andrarely 18 rays (ca. 2%) on each side in S. onaria;
Motomura et al., 2007]. Although the 16 pectoral-ﬁnrays is one of diagnostic characters for a closely related East Asian species, Scorpaena pepo Motomura,
Poss and Shao, 2007, we regard that of the Indonesian
specimen as within variation of S. onaria. Detailed
comparisons of S. onaria with S. pepo were given in
Motomura et al. (2007, 2009).
Motomura et al. (2005) recognized two geographically distinct populations for S. onaria: a northern
population from the northwestern Paciﬁc (southern
Korea, Japan, and Taiwan) and a southern populationfrom the southwestern Paciﬁc (northwestern and eastern Australia, New Caledonia, and northern New Zealand). In addition, although this species was reported
from the Andaman Sea (Kyushin et al., 1977; as Scorpaena neglecta), the status of S. onaria from the Andaman Sea remains unknown because specimens fromthe Andaman Sea are no longer available (Motomura
et al., 2007).
Scorpaena onaria has previously been considered
to represent an antitropical distribution in the western
Paciﬁc. Thus the present specimen from Bitung, northern Sulawesi, Indonesia, represents the ﬁrst record of
S. onaria from the tropical region in the western Paciﬁc,suggesting that the species is widely and continuously
distributed in the western Paciﬁc from Korea and Japan
to Australia and New Zealand.
The southern population of S. onaria have a shortsupraocular tentacle, which is usually shorter than the
pupil diameter and the length of a tentacle on theposterior lacrimal spine. In contrast, the supraoculartentacle of the northern population of S. onaria is welldeveloped and greater than the pupil diameter and theposterior lacrimal tentacle (Motomura et al., 2005).
The present Indonesian specimen has a well developed,
long supraocular tentacle, which is greater than the
pupil diameter and the tentacle on the posterior lacrimal
spine. The length of the supraocular tentacle of theIndonesian specimen is 10.3% of SL, which is also
within that of the northern population [4.9–11.3%(mean 7.6%) of SL; Motomura et al., 2007]. In addition, the ventral margin of the dentary of individualsof the southern population of S. onaria is more convex
than for individuals of the northern population (Motomura et al., 2005, 2007). The condition of the dentary– 130 –

Hiroyuki Motomura and Teguh Peristiwady

in the Indonesian specimen is also similar to that of
the northern population of S. onaria, rather than thesouthern population.

Acknowledgments
We are especially grateful to Mrs. Embo (Bitung,Indonesia) for her assistance to collect the specimenof S. onaria. We thank Drs. K. Matsuura (National
Museum of Nature and Science, Japan) and S. Kimura (Mie University, Japan) for opportunity to examine
the specimen. This study was supported in part by aGrant-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research (A) from theJapan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS),Tokyo, Japan (19208019) and a Grant-in-Aid for Young
Scientists (B) from the Ministry of Education, Science,Sports and Culture, Japan (19770067). The second
author’s visit to Japan was supported by the JSPS–Multilateral Cooperative Research Program “Coastal Oceanography”.

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(Accepted 7 July, 2010)