First record of McAdam’s Scorpionfish from the Arabian Sea

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Perciformes

Family: Scorpaenidae

Parascorpaena mcadamsi (Fowler, 1938)

Collection: Southeastern Arabian Sea, west of Thrissur, Kerala, 10.35°N, 75.63°E, 114 m, 24.01.2024, FORVSS trial cruise 401

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/FIS/00737

Description: D XII 11, A III 5, P 14, V I 5. Body mottled reddish coloration interspersed with white markings, black spot present near posterior margin of spinous dorsal fin between sixth and eleventh spines; covered with cycloid scales. Suborbital spine present; 3 spines on the suborbital ridge; occipital pit absent; small tentacle presence above eye.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: New record of McAdam’s Scorpionfish from the entire Arabian Sea

Distribution: Southeast Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, India, south to Western Australia, Queensland, southern Japan, Marquesas Islands, Micronesia and Papua New Guinea. Depth range: 7–114 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Chinmay Kar

Publication: Kar C., Nihal D., Manjebrayakath H. (2025) DNA barcoding confirms Parascorpaena mcadamsi (Fowler, 1938) (Scorpaenoidei: Scorpaenidae) as a single species with phenotypic variations in the Arabian Sea, Northern Indian Ocean. Thalassas, 41: 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-025-00799-2