Caracanthus unipinna (Gray, 1831)
Pygmy coral croucher
Caracanthus unipinna
photo by Randall, J.E.

Family:  Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes or rockfishes), subfamily: Caracanthinae
Max. size:  5 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 15 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan and the Ogasawara Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 7-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-13; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 11-12. Uniformly dark species that has smaller, but longer tubercles than C. maculatus and lacks a notch in the dorsal fin. Description: Characterized by having two small spines at lower anterior edge of lacrimal; depth of body about 1.8 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Found among branches of Stylophora mordax and certain Acropora corals (Ref. 9710). It never ventures outside the confines of the coral head where it swims between the branches foraging for other coral-dwelling types (Ref. 275). Anterolateral glandular groove with venom gland; at least in dorsal-fin spines (Ref. 57406).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 02 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  venomous
Country info:   
 


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