The Ambon Scorpionfish
I’ve never considered writing about a fish’s eyebrows before. Perhaps because fish aren’t generally known for their body hair. Here in Lembeh, we have a lot of impressively adorned critters and one of the most stylish has got to be the Ambon Scorpionfish (pteroidichthys amboinensis). Scorpionfish are ambush predators and they use their excellent camouflage and patience to lie in wait for unsuspecting victims to come close enough to strike. The hairy appendages (not actually eyebrows) of the Ambon Scorpionfish combined with their ability to change colour mean most crustaceans or small fish don’t know what’s for lunch until the algae-covered rock in front of them grows a mouth and realization dawns. By which time, it’s too late.
Like many ambush predators, Ambon Scorpionfish are suction feeders. By increasing the volume of their mouth (opening it really wide and fast), they create a pressure difference causing water to flow in, dragging the unfortunate victim with it. Of course, the prevailing, alternative theory of Ambon Scorpionfish predation is that fish endowed with better eyesight and sense of style swim in close to check out its fantastic eyebrows. They are able to die happy as the last thing they saw was one of nature’s greatest fashion achievements!
Ambon scorpionfish in the Lembeh Strait
It is unlikely one of these will swallow a diver (they grow up to 12cm long) but you still don’t want to get too close. Their spines are highly venomous which is another good reason why good buoyancy control is vital in our delicate muck diving habitat here in the Lembeh Strait.
The article picture (top) shows an Ambon Scorpionfish from this week opening and closing its mouth after catching a small crab. Come and join us at Two Fish Divers Lembeh Resort to find some of our other weird and wonderful predators!
If you would like to join us for diving – or to take your next level of PADI course in Lembeh, fill in the contact form below and we will get right back to you. Did you know that Two Fish Divers has dedicated facilities for underwater photographers in Lembeh? Our boats carry camera rinse buckets and we have camera-only rinsing tanks at the dive centre. In addition to this, our rooms have plenty of power points for charging cameras and accessories and our team love nothing more than checking out your images at the end of a day of diving while the sun sets over the Lembeh Strait.
We look forward to meeting you soon in Lembeh!
