Sea ruffs. Sea ruff, or Black Sea scorpion. Interesting, unusual, funny facts about this fish
Scorpio- predatory benthic sea fish scorpion family, leading sedentary life in the coastal strip of the Black Sea with depths up to 50 meters. For the resemblance to their freshwater counterparts, river ruffs, the scorpionfish got its second informal name - sea ruff. In addition to the double name, this fish is the bearer of several more mysteries of nature.
To commercial fish scorpion does not apply. It is usually caught by amateur fishermen, although it attracts them not so much with its size, but with the taste of the fish soup obtained from it.
Two species of this fish are found in the Black Sea: the Black Sea scorpionfish, reaching a length of 30 centimeters and a weight of 1 kilogram, and a noticeable scorpionfish - up to 15 centimeters with a mass of 200-300 grams. It is very difficult to distinguish them from each other, not everyone can immediately determine what kind of fish they have in their hands: a noticeable scorpionfish that has reached full maturity or a young Black Sea scorpionfish?
The only acceptable sign for anglers to distinguish between the two species is the presence of a conspicuous characteristic large black spot on the dorsal fin. There is another sign: in the Black Sea scorpionfish, the supraorbital processes, similar to rag patches, are much longer than in the conspicuous scorpionfish. But this difference, in my opinion, is more within the competence of ichthyologists, because hardly any amateur will want to run around the boat with a ruler to establish the truth of what kind of fish he caught.
Where and when is the scorpionfish caught?
Catching scorpionfish from the shore, unlike catching it from a boat at sea, does not involve high costs, special skills and efforts, and therefore is very popular with both boys and experienced ruffers.
The most convenient places are piers, piers, breakwaters, rocks, stone embankments or banks, especially where near these places there are large and small boulders on the bottom, overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Scorpionfish in such areas keep in crevices and in algae bushes, waiting and hunting from ambush for small fish and crustaceans (greenfinches, gobies, shrimps, crabs).
Caught on scorpion hooks all year round, but for a number of reasons, the main one being comfortable temperature, fishermen prefer to catch it in the summer. This fish is most active at night.
With a good bite, and it starts at sunset, you can sit all night long. I will tell you without too much modesty: last summer, after spending three hours fishing from ten in the evening until one in the morning, I caught about two dozen scorpions of various sizes on spinning and a sea circle.
Tackle for catching scorpion fish
The scorpion fish is not the type of fish that requires a lot of tinkering with gear to catch. Now there are many different gears, but I, based on my personal experience, I will share with you only two: spinning with the installation of bottom gear and a marine circle. In my opinion, they are the best for catching this predatory fish, are simple and easy to use and very effective.
Spinning
Installation of bottom gear:
light rod up to three meters long;
classic inertial coil "Nevskaya" or any reliable inertialess coil;
main fishing line with a diameter of 0.3-0.35 millimeters;
one bead;
carbine;
bid.
The bead must necessarily be larger in diameter than the circumference of the tulip, so that in the dark, when winding the fishing line, to prevent frequent hits of the bet in the rings. The stake is a fishing line with a diameter of 0.16-0.25 millimeters with hooks No. 5-9 located on it on two leashes 5-7 centimeters long and with a sinker at the end. The distance between the leashes is 15 centimeters.
Marine circle
The design is a metal ring with a diameter of 25 centimeters or a hoop bent from thick wire with small incisions previously made on it. The number of files depends on the number of leads and serves to fix them rigidly on the circumference. 4-5 leashes 15 centimeters long with hooks No. 5-9 are tied in a circle. A strong twine is attached directly to the ring. Line reserve is calculated based on the height of the structure above sea level from which you are fishing and the depth at the place of fishing.
Bait and bait when catching this fish are used extremely rarely. Although even the simplest bait in the form of crushed shells of mollusks such as mussels and rapana will collect scorpions from all over the area pretty quickly. Also cut into steaks is well suited as a bait. small fish, for example, horse mackerel.
Bait for scorpionfish
As nozzles, as a rule, boiled shrimp, squid meat, chicken and fish fillets are used. But still, scorpion fish, despite the large assortment of baits, most often prefers fresh shrimp or sliced freshly caught fish.
The voracity of the scorpionfish is amazing: it is not at all afraid of large pieces of meat or fish on hooks. Thanks to its huge mouth with a far forward lower jaw, it is able to grab and hold prey that is larger than it is.
Stories about insatiable sea ruffs are known everywhere. I heard one of these from a diver friend of mine. It turns out that during the next dive in one of the crevices of the underwater stone, he noticed a scorpionfish, in the throat of which a rulena stuck out, similar in size to it. Everything would be fine, well, I caught myself a fish for lunch, well, what's wrong with that. But it was not there! For another two days, my friend had to observe this picture, and only on the third day the ruff swallowed his victim and remained lying in the same crevice as if nothing had happened.
fishing technique
The technique of catching scorpion fish with tackle such as spinning with mounting and a sea circle is extremely simple. They catch with these tackles exclusively in a plumb line: in the first case, they lower the bet to the bottom, choose the slack and, having made a stretch, expect bites; in the second - lowering the ring on the twine to the bottom, leave the tackle for 15-20 minutes.
When fishing on spinning, the bite of a scorpionfish is felt as a series of short-term pulls, and then a significant jerk. The fisherman absolutely does not need to bother thinking about when the scorpion pecks at the circle, she eagerly takes the nozzle and rarely lets her go.
I want to draw your attention to the fact that when fishing on a spinning rod, delay in hooking can allow the scorpion fish to hide under a stone or in a crevice, and then a break in the rate is inevitable. As for the circle, you don’t have to worry about this, since the fish is self-securing, and the ring and short leashes will not allow it to go far into the stones and tightly hook the tackle.
Removing a scorpion fish from the water is quite simple, but once it is on the shore, the fisherman's troubles are just beginning. And here, more than ever, by the way and useful to everyone famous proverb: "Take the ruff off the hook slowly."
Safety precautions when removing the scorpionfish from the hook
The caught fish is released from the hook with great care so as not to prick on the poisonous spines. And she has not many and not few of them, but only one accidentally not noticed by you can cause unbearable pain. To prevent this from happening, I will bring you up to date, delving a little into ichthyology.
The poisonous apparatus of the scorpionfish is represented by poisonous glands located at the base of each ray of the anterior part. dorsal fin, the first ray of the ventral fin and the first three rays of the anal. (see photo)
How many fishermen, there are so many ways to extract hooks from the mouth of a scorpionfish. Without entering into polemics with anyone about the originality of certain methods, I will describe only one, from my point of view, the safest.
Pressing the scorpion with the handle of the rod, I grab it with pliers or a surgical clamp for lower lip and with scissors I cut away from sin everything that sticks out on it, and then, with a clear conscience, I take out the hook and throw it into the bucket.
How to avoid unwanted consequences
Scorpio is ranked ninth in the top 10 most dangerous representatives aquatic fauna in the world. Although not fatal, the injections of the scorpionfish are, admittedly, rather painful. As a rule, they cause pain shock, swelling and redness of the affected areas of the body. Sometimes there is profuse sweating and vomiting.
But there are exceptions. An interesting fact is that fishermen who once received injections of this fish develop some kind of immunity to their poison, as a result of which they are completely free from any reactions and symptoms in the future. Just don't misunderstand me: I am by no means encouraging you to harden yourself in this way, but, on the contrary, I want to warn you against conducting experiments of this kind.
In order not to be taken by surprise and avoid undesirable consequences when meeting with a scorpionfish, you will need knowledge of the simplest medical actions to provide first aid. first aid. First, it is necessary to determine the injection site; the second is to carefully remove the fragments of the thorns; the third is to squeeze the wound and allow the blood to flow as long as possible; fourth - disinfect the wound by washing it sea water or hydrogen peroxide if you have one available.
The unique gastronomic qualities of scorpionfish
Concluding the conversation about scorpionfish, one cannot fail to mention the gastronomic properties and qualities of its meat. The meat of this fish is white, elastic and slightly sweet in taste. Scorpion is dried, fried, boiled, used in soups and aspic dishes - all traditional culinary methods are suitable.
And, of course, the legendary fish soup from the Black Sea scorpion fish, which, according to rumors, surpasses even sturgeon in its unsurpassed taste. And they say that their positive influence on the male body scorpionfish meat makes you nervously smoke the famous Viagra on the sidelines.
So, dear fishermen, catching scorpionfish in the Black Sea, and then eating it is not only a pleasant pastime, but also good good health.
In the Black or Azov Sea you can find very interesting fish, which has an unusual and formidable appearance, reminiscent of the real Big bulging eyes covered with outgrowths, a hefty mouth with thick lips and many sharp teeth, rays of the dorsal fin, similar to real spines. This formidable depth is called - sea ruff, or in other words, scorpionfish.
Small but formidable predator
This monster belongs to big family scorpionfish - marine ray-finned fish - included in the order of scorpionfish and numbering more than 20 genera and 209 species. Representatives of this family live in the waters of tropical and temperate seas, but most prefer the Indo-Pacific region. The genus scorpion itself (sea ruff is a representative of the genus), numbering 62 species, is distributed in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean and the seas belonging to their basins.
In our country, you can find two types of scorpionfish - the noticeable scorpionfish and the Black Sea scorpionfish (sea ruff). By the way, this is not the only place where this amazing fish. She was even seen in fresh water Shapsuho in the Caucasus, not to mention the Sea of Azov.
Scorpion is a relatively small fish, on average its size does not exceed 15-20 cm. Rare specimens reach a length of half a meter. In its way of life, the sea ruff belongs to predators. The basis of its diet is made up of small fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates. Because the sea ruff very hard to see even close range, he does not chase his prey, but lies motionless at the bottom and waits for the victim to approach him, after which he makes a short rapid throw.
Beware, scorpions!
The view of the sea ruff is indeed very formidable. The body of the scorpionfish has an oblong shape, somewhat compressed on the sides, covered with small rough scales, and a fin consisting of a number of sharp spines. Especially impressive is the large head, covered with numerous spines and outgrowths, as well as a large wide-lipped mouth. The color of the sea ruff is rather variegated: on a brown background, the shade of which can be very different, many dark spots and stripes are scattered. The same spots and stripes are found on the fins. A feature of the scorpionfish is that it molts periodically (on average - once a month). At the same time, the upper layer of skin is shed by a stocking (like in snakes), under which there is a new one - fresher and brighter.
At the base of the spikes that cover the body of the scorpionfish, there are channels in which the deadly poison is located. But the ruff uses its poisonous spines solely for defense purposes. If a thorn is stuck in the body, poison is injected into the wound, from which the injection site swells and begins to hurt very badly, as from a wasp sting. With numerous injuries, even a fatal outcome is possible (which happens extremely rarely). In this case, it is necessary to do everything possible so that the injection site bleeds as much as possible to prevent further entry of the poison into the body, treat this place hot water and apply to medical institution, even if the pain began to gradually subside. By the way, when cleaning already caught fish, safety measures must also be observed.
Despite the menacing appearance, sea ruff, whose photo reminds of real monsters, is not just edible - its white and juicy meat is considered a real delicacy. From scorpion you can cook a lot delicious meals. Fish soup and ruff baked in foil are especially popular. Therefore, they often become a desirable prey for lovers of fishing or spearfishing, because, due to their inactivity, they allow them to swim very close to themselves.
Many divers and fishermen know who the Black Sea scorpion is, who have repeatedly been burned by its sharp and poisonous thorns. Some can't just float past unusual fish and become victims of curiosity, others hunt for delicious meat which comes at the cost of pain. The beauty of the sea ruff is deceptive, behind it lies a self-confident predator, able to stand up for himself and fight back.
Spreading
The Black Sea scorpionfish is a native inhabitant of the Eastern Atlantic, from Britain to the Strait of Gibraltar, the northwestern coast of Africa, the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It also comes across in Azov, but not so often. Being a completely marine and salty-demanding fish, it does not swim in estuaries and estuaries.
Leading a passive benthic lifestyle, it is most often found at depths up to 40 meters, but it can go even deeper. Favorite places are coastal kelp beds and rocky areas of shallow water, where fish can lie in ambush for days without moving.
Description
The Latin name for the scorpion fish (Scorpaena porcus) gave its name to a family of more than 200 species of fish, and the Black Sea fish is also often called the sea ruff or scorpion ruff. This is a small fish, with a large flattened muzzle, large lips and bulging eyes, over which spike-like tentacles grow. The head is covered with tubercles and shreds of skin; powerful jaws with small teeth are located in the mouth. sharp teeth, on the gill covers there are several thorns-growths.
The dorsal fin is long, consisting of a couple of dozen rays, some of which are hard and prickly (12), the other is soft (9), in the anal fin 3 and 5, respectively. Breast soft, big size, with 16-18 veins, and on the tail there are three vertical stripes. The scales of the scorpionfish are medium in size, spotted camouflage color, which is dominated by brown colors, dark and light colors. There are also tubercles and skin patches along the body, helping the fish to merge with environment. On average, it grows up to 15-20 centimeters in length (maximum - 40 cm), by weight - 500-600 grams (individual individuals - 0.9-1.5 kilograms).
The Black Sea scorpionfish has two features: it is a poisonous fish and it can shed. Molting occurs similarly to that of a snake, when the skin peels off completely, in a “cover”, with a frequency of up to 2 times a month, but usually this is a lunar cycle. The frequency is affected by both the quality of nutrition of the sea ruff and the ecology of the habitat - than better conditions life, the more often the fish changes its skin.
The second feature is the poisonous glands located at the base of the fins. The poison, which is not destroyed even after the death of the fish, contains the rays and gill spines of the sea ruff.
Important! The Black Sea scorpionfish is not a shy fish, letting a person close to itself, therefore it seems to be an easy prey. This is far from true. From the injections of the inhabitant of the Black Sea has not yet been deaths but the poison is strong enough to cause strong pain, an allergic reaction and the need for medical attention.
Food
sea ruff- predator. Lazy but efficient. The fish does not have a swim bladder, which is why it easily spends the whole day in ambush, patiently waiting for prey. Usually in algae or heaps of rocks. When prey appears, the scorpionfish rushes at the victim, swallowing it with a stream of water. The inedible is spit out.
A developed lateral line and processes on the head help to “see” and determine prey, catching the slightest fluctuations in water. Therefore, the fish is most active at night, easily navigating in the dark. The main prey are small fish, representatives of crustaceans and benthic invertebrates.
reproduction
The Black Sea sea ruff spawns in the summer, when the water is as warm as possible (July-September). Caviar is tossed in portions, enclosed in a lump of mucus, which floats into the upper layers of the sea. After the release of the fry, it remains at the surface for some time, but soon sinks to the bottom and acquires the bottom habits of adults. One female can spawn up to 350 thousand eggs per season.
Meaning
Poisonous spikes protect the juicy, delicious meat that the Black Sea scorpionfish possesses and is valued for its taste qualities. It is considered dietary, contains many vitamins and microelements, use improves metabolism in the body, has a beneficial effect on nervous system. At the same time, the characteristics of the fish and the difficulty in processing do not allow making it a commercial species.
In aquariums, scorpionfish are also frequent guests, especially tropical species, but require certain conditions and separate content, as they are able to destroy its other inhabitants. Often, the sea ruff can be found in the form of stuffed souvenirs on the shelves of the Black Sea cities.
Scorpionfish are one of the most dangerous marine animals. Even the name of these fish comes from the accepted in foreign languages the name "scorpion fish", which indicates a strong poisonousness. Despite the fact that scorpions cannot be called beautiful, few can compete with them in the colorfulness and quirkiness of forms. Systematically, several genera of fish from the scorpion family of the Scorpioformes order are systematically classified as scorpions. Lionfish and spiny cheeks are very close to them, more distant relatives scorpion are warts, sea bass, gurnards and trigles.
Red scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa).
Scorpion fish are small and medium-sized fish, the length of most species does not exceed 30 cm. They are characterized by a large head and a short, sharply tapering torso towards the tail. The tail itself is small and inconspicuous, but the fins are large, with strongly developed rays. The dorsal fin is divided by a notch into two parts: in the anterior part 7-17 rays turned into sharp spines, in the rear part there is one such spine. In addition, one thorn is available in pelvic fins and 2-3 in the anal. Each spine has two grooves along which the mucus secreted by poisonous glands at the base of the spine flows. This principle of structure is a bit like the arrangement of poisonous teeth in snakes. In addition to spines, scorpions have a bony bridge under the eye that protects the head, which is why these fish are sometimes called armor-cheeked. Scorpionfish also have short spines on their cheeks, but they are not venomous. The eyes of these fish are bulging like those of toads and frogs.
The mouth of the scorpionfish is large and, if necessary, can open very wide.
With snakes, scorpions have another property unique to fish. The fact is that scorpionfish ... molt! They change periodically skin covering(for example, the Black Sea scorpionfish does this every month), and, like snakes, scorpionfish shed their skin entirely in the form of a stocking. But the main distinguishing feature scorpionfish are numerous outgrowths that cover the body of the fish. They can be developed to varying degrees - from short tufts that mimic mossiness to branched formations that resemble algae or corals. Complements this entourage motley coloring.
The color of the scorpionfish in richness and variegation resembles an oriental carpet.
Although the color scheme of most species is reduced to red-brown tones, but a lot of small multi-colored spots, lines, streaks and halftones make the drawing incredibly rich, and the scorpionfish itself - invisible against the colorful background of the coral reef.
The complex pattern of the lacy scorpionfish (Rhinopias aphanes) continuously passes from the body to the fins, creating a perfect likeness of a coral branch.
The color of the lace scorpionfish is very variable: among the representatives of this species one can meet red, yellow, black, one-color and multi-colored individuals. Males and females of all scorpions look the same.
This gloomy fish is also a lacy scorpionfish.
Another outfit from the rich "wardrobe" of lace scorpions.
The habitat of the scorpion covers all tropical and subtropical zones the globe. A lot of species of scorpions can be found on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, and Thailand. One of the most northern species- Black Sea scorpionfish, or sea ruff, which lives in the Black Sea. In general, all scorpions live exclusively in salt water, their favorite habitats are coastal zones and shallow waters of coral atolls, but certain types can be found at depths up to 2000 m. Scorpionfish spend most of their time in complete immobility, lying on the bottom in anticipation of prey. They swim rarely and for short distances, but if necessary, they can make swift jerks. Scorpionfish lead a solitary lifestyle, according to some reports, some species are active only at night.
Echmeyer's scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri).
Scorpionfish are ambush predators. Not only are these fish difficult to distinguish against the background of the surrounding landscape, but they also burrow into the ground in such a way that only the eyes are visible from the outside (that's why they are so bulging). The scorpionfish patiently waits in ambush for hours until the victim appears in sight, then the scorpionfish quickly opens its mouth and the victim is literally carried into it by the current. Since these fish attack small animals, they swallow their prey whole. Scorpionfish hunt for small fish, crustaceans (shrimp) and cephalopods(primarily squid). deep sea species scorpionfish and those that hunt at night find prey thanks to a highly developed lateral line, which has moved to the head in scorpionfish. Thanks to this line, predators feel the vibrations of the water produced by the prey, and determine its location even in pitch darkness.
California scorpionfish (Scorpaena guttata) eating squid (Doryteuthis opalescens).
Scorpionfish lay eggs in separate portions, packed in slimy balloons. These balloons float to the surface of the water and there break up into separate eggs. Larvae hatch from floating eggs, which at first stay near the surface of the water, but having matured a little, sink into the bottom layers.
Caviar of the California scorpionfish.
In nature, scorpions have few enemies, given their excellent camouflage, low mobility and strong poisonousness. But for humans, scorpions are of twofold interest. On the one hand, these fish pose a real danger to divers, swimmers and even people just relaxing on the shore. The thing is that the skillful camouflage of scorpions does not allow you to detect fish in time, so it is very easy to prick on its thorns. Complicating the situation is that scorpions often end up washed ashore, and their spines can pierce through even light shoes. When injected, poison immediately enters the wound, which causes very severe pain. The pain increases with time and can even lead to loss of consciousness from pain shock. In addition, the components of the poison cause a decrease in pressure, swelling of the lungs and the affected limb, and numbness. Symptoms do not improve within a few days, but deaths from scorpion poisoning are rare.
Flathead Scorpenopsis (Scorpaenopsis oxycephala).
On the other hand, the Black Sea and California scorpionfish have considerable gastronomic value. Their meat is very tasty, gives excellent fat, so fish soup is often boiled from scorpions. fish soups. They catch scorpions along the way with other fish, and butcher them with gloves separately from other species. The meat freed from thorns does not pose any danger. Scorpionfish are also attractive to aquarists, although keeping them at home is not easy. When keeping scorpions, it is important to provide them with shelters in aquariums, good aeration and water filtration. Scorpion fed small fish and crustaceans (brine shrimp), with fish of equal size, scorpionfish behave peacefully and get along well with their neighbors.
While snorkeling underwater, I have seen perhaps two main types of fish. The former live in the water column and, at the sight of an underwater swimmer, they immediately try to hide from sight, sailing away, or hiding in crevices between stones. The latter, apparently, rely on their natural disguise. These are mostly demersal species hiding among rocks and algae. Until recently, they prefer to believe that they were not noticed. To do this, they have all the tools: camouflage coloring, which makes them invisible against a colorful background among stones, entire forests of algae that hide them from prying eyes, and, as the last line of defense, various poisonous spikes and other troubles for a predator. Here in the photo and video is a typical example of such a fish - black sea scorpion ruff , she is sea ruff, she is scorpid(lat. Scorpaena porcus). I met her at a shallow depth in Omega Bay in Sevastopol when I was snorkeling there. On this day, the sea was very rough and the algae constantly swayed in all directions. The sea ruff lay at the bottom, and the current completely hid, then exposed its body in thickets of algae. But apparently he considered them reliable protection, because it allowed me to get close enough without sudden movements. Or maybe he just hoped for his poisonous thorns in case of my aggression. Anyway, he allowed a few stills to be taken and a few seconds of video to be taken before he fled, frightened of something.
in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as in Kerch Strait you can see a rather interesting fish, nicknamed the sea ruff or small scorpionfish. It is interesting to watch her, but it is absolutely not worth getting to know her closely. This is one of the most unfriendly marine inhabitants, besides, its spines, located throughout the body, are quite poisonous.
This is a real monster - a large head covered with outgrowths, horns, bulging crimson eyes, a huge mouth with thick lips. The rays of the dorsal fin are turned into sharp spines, which the scorpionfish, if disturbed, spreads; at the base of each ray is a poisonous gland. This is the protection of the ruff from predators, its weapon of defense.
And the weapon of attack - jaws with many sharp crooked teeth - are intended for careless fish that approached the scorpion at a distance of its swift, furious throw. The whole appearance of the scorpion speaks of its danger; and at the same time she is beautiful - and there are very scorpionfish different colors- black, gray, brown, raspberry yellow, pink ...
Due to the fact that this fish is quite difficult to see at the bottom, many of its victims literally swim into its mouth. She doesn't even have to specifically hunt down someone. Sea ruffs grab prey, making a sudden short throw, characteristic of other scorpions, and swallow it. The scorpionfish feeds on small fish and various crustaceans.
These spiny predators lurk between stones, under algae, and, like all bottom fish, change color to match the color of their surroundings, can quickly lighten or darken depending on the light. They hide the scorpion and numerous outgrowths, spikes and leathery tentacles, turning it into one of the stones, overgrown with marine vegetation. Therefore, it is difficult to notice her, and she herself relies so much on her inconspicuousness that she swims away (more precisely, flies away like a bullet from a gun!) Only if you get close to her. Sometimes you can even touch it - but you just don’t need to do this - you’ll prick! It is more interesting, lying on the surface of the water and breathing through a tube, to watch the scorpionfish hunt ...
The danger of the sea ruff is that when you accidentally disturb him, he will not even think of sailing away. On the contrary, it raises the dorsal spines and assumes a protective posture, bending the body into a crescent. Without noticing it among sea stones and algae, you can easily stumble upon it.
Wounds from scorpion thorns cause burning pain, the area around the injections turns red and swells, then general malaise, fever, and your rest is interrupted for a day or two. Ruff poison is especially dangerous in early spring: at this time of the year, due to the rise in hormone levels, the poison becomes the most toxic. If you have suffered from the thorns of a ruff, consult a doctor. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches. The main symptoms of sea ruff poisoning are local inflammation (where they pricked) and general allergic reaction. Fatalities from scorpion pricks is not known. No one accidentally steps on it either - curious divers and fishermen suffer from its thorns when they remove the ruff from the hook or take it out of the net. By the way, the sea ruff is a very tasty fish, but you need to clean it carefully - the poison is preserved even in a scorpionfish that has lain in the refrigerator.
Scorpio possesses interesting features- she sheds regularly, shedding - in a snake-like, stocking - worn-out skin, sometimes up to two times a month. Moreover, the better the conditions in which the fish lives, and the more food, the more often these molts occur.
It lives in the Eastern Atlantic, from the British to the Azores, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, sometimes it comes across in the Sea of Azov. Predator. Keeps in the coastal zone and most spends time lying in thickets of vegetation on a rocky bottom, waiting for prey. Previously, it was one of the most common fish in the coastal strip, is now much less common.