False kelpfish
(Sebastiscus marmoratus)
General data
Sebastiscus marmoratus, the sea ruffe, false kelpfish or dusky stingfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. It is found in the Western Pacific from southern Japan to the Philippines. It has also been sighted twice in Australia.
Description
Sebasticus marmoratus has a moderately deep body. The upper rear margin of the pectoral fins are almost straight, There is no suborbital spine or suborbital ridge and there is no flap of skin at the axil of the pectoral fin. The caudal fin is rounded. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and between 10 and 13 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 5 spines. The overall color is yellowish-brown, reddish to blackish marked with white to dark blotches. There is a series of dark blotches or saddles along the back, there is white spotting scattered on the lower flank but any above the lateral line are indistinct.
This species attains a maximum total length of 36 cm (14.3 in) and a maximum published weight of 2.8 kg (6.2 lb).
Distribution and habitat
Sebasticus marmoratus is found in the western Pacific Ocean from Vietnam north to China, Japan and Korea and east to the Philippines, it is found as far north as southern Hokkaido. This is a demersal fish, found over rocky substrates near to the shore in seaweed beds in lagoons and seaward reefs.
