California scorpionfish make extensive spawning migrations in late spring and early summer, when most adults move to 12 to 360 foot depths, forming large spawning aggregations on or near the bottom. During spawning, these aggregations rise up off the bottom, sometimes approaching the surface. Spawning occurs in the same areas year after year. No natural mortality estimates are available for the scorpionfish. No information is available on diseases in this species.
Small crabs are probably the most important food of the scorpionfish.
They are primarily nocturnal and feed at night. Octopi prey on small individuals. Competition No information on competitors of adult or juvenile scorpionfish is available. Critical Habitat Very young scorpionfish live in shallow water, hidden away in habitats with dense algae and bottom-encrusting organisms. No population estimates exist for California scorpionfish.