''Parascorpaena bandanensis'', or the Banda scorpionfish is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scorpaenidae The Scorpaenidae (also known as scorpionfish) are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species. As their name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venom ...

, the scorpionfishes. They are native to the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

Description

Banda scorpionfish have twelve dorsal spines, nine to ten dorsal soft rays, three anal spines, and five anal soft rays. Their maximum size is about 10.0 cm.

Behavior

Banda scorpionfish primarily dwell in

reefs A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

, as well as shallow rubbled

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

IUCN Status

The banda scorpionfish has not yet been evaluated by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

and as such lacks an official IUCN status. Based on the conservation status of other known species of scorpionfish it is unlikely that the species is at all threatened. Despite this, reports from the 19th and 20th centuries state the existence of Banda scorpionfish in the waters around

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, however, studies conducted in 2011 and 2020 have shown a lack of data suggesting continued habitation. This may suggest a decline in population over the last century, though it is unlikely that the species is facing any significant risk.

References

bandanensis Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker Fish described in 1851 Fish of Singapore {{Scorpaeniformes-stub