decoy scorpionfish
Iracundus signifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Iracundus signifer Jordan & Evermann. From the type Subject: Iracundus, Scorpionfishes Tag: Fish
David Starr Jordan / Barton Warren Evermann · Public domain · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The decoy scorpionfish (Iracundus signifer) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is native to the Western Indian and Pacific oceans. A non-migratory species, I. signifer can be observed in close association with coral reefs at depths of from 10 to 70 metres (33 to 230 ft). This species grows to a length of 13 centimeters (5.1 in) TL. This species is the only known member of its genus and can be distinguished by its unique prey-luring behavior.
Wikipedia contributors, Decoy scorpionfish; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:24:54.449366+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Iracundus signifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903
- Name authority
- Jordan & Evermann, 1903
- Common name
- decoy scorpionfish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Scorpaenidae
- Genus
- Iracundus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderPerciformes
- suborderScorpaenoidei
- familyScorpaenidae Risso, 1827
- subfamilyScorpaeninae Risso, 1827
- genusIracundus Jordan & Evermann, 1903
- speciesIracundus signifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903
Close classified relatives
No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Scorpaena asperella Bennett, 1828 Bennett, 1828 | synonym |
| Sebastapistes asperella (Bennett, 1828) (Bennett, 1828) | synonym |
| Iracundus sinifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903 Jordan & Evermann, 1903 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Jordan, D. S.; Evermann B. W. (1903). Descriptions of a new genus and two new species of fishes from the Hawaiian Islands. Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission, v. 22 (1902): 209–210. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3PXQ6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.