Milne Bay Rhinopia/Scorpionfish?

Photo taken at the Twin Towers divesite in Milne Bay, PNG 3 weeks ago.

I realise the image quality isn't ideal...But does anyone know what it is?

I've been through all my ID books and it looks like some mangled cross between a rhinopia and a scorpionfish? I could be way off with this.

Appreciate any help!

Difficult from the angle. It might be Rhinopias filamentosus (formerly Hipposcorpaena filamentosa).

Like Nick, I'd say rhinopias but very hard indeed to tell with the angle and exposure.

Thanks for the suggestions

Here is the same critter from another angle...I know they're not good photos, I had the wrong lens on to capture it at the time. Just curious as to what it is.

Hey WetPup

Sorry, that'd doesn't help much.

Why not have a look at online images of rhinopias and see if you can see something that looks like what you saw?

Looks like a Lionfish, maybe a Scorpionfish, to me. Definitely not the Rhinopias filamentosus we get in Ambon.

Yes i agree more like a scorpion fish or Lion Fish

In Reef Fishes of the East Indies the only scorpionfish with bright white patches and the prominent tentacles above the eye is the raggy scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis venosa). The description indicates that "tentacle above eye often present and up to twice orbit diameter in length". That suggests the tentacles can be absent and many imaged labeled as S. venosa indeed lack the tentacles. Fishbase describes the appearance as "Adults are best recognized by the tiny light-blue ocelli scattered over the body, and dark triangle below the eye. Small juveniles have three distinctive white spots along the back". Finally, I think there is a very good match with the image below, which was also IDed as S. venosa.

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-raggy-scorpionfish-scorpaenopsis-venosa-lembeh-strait-sulawesi-indonesia-58173151.html

Too bad you didn't get a better image because this colour form seems to be rare, or just rarely photographed.

Bart

In Reef Fishes of the East Indies the only scorpionfish with bright white patches and the prominent tentacles above the eye is the raggy scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis venosa). The description indicates that "tentacle above eye often present and up to twice orbit diameter in length". That suggests the tentacles can be absent and many imaged labeled as S. venosa indeed lack the tentacles. Fishbase describes the appearance as "Adults are best recognized by the tiny light-blue ocelli scattered over the body, and dark triangle below the eye. Small juveniles have three distinctive white spots along the back". Finally, I think there is a very good match with the image below, which was also IDed as S. venosa.

 

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-raggy-scorpionfish-scorpaenopsis-venosa-lembeh-strait-sulawesi-indonesia-58173151.html

 

Too bad you didn't get a better image because this colour form seems to be rare, or just rarely photographed.

 

Bart

Thanks! From what I remember seeing with my eyes, and comparing it to my photos, I think the raggy scorpionfish in that stock photo looks to be the most likely culprit.

Sadly I'd been shooting supermacro on that dive, and only saw this critter at the end of the dive just as the current started ripping over the top of the reef and I was totally unprepared. Didn't have time to mess around with lenses

This is the only other shot I got of it, not really much better than the others to be honest. Not sure if it will help any further.

I'm quite convinced that your image is the same species as the Alamy photo but I just don't know how reliable their ID is and would feel better if there was a similar image form a "trusted source". That said it is the only reasonable match in the very complete Fishes of the East Indies and together with Fishbase referencing the blue dots I think it is a good match.

Bart