The tassled scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, is a carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives in the Indian

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

 and Pacific

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

oceans.

It can reach a maximum length of 36 cm (14 in) and can vary considerably in color. Adults are bearded with a number of tassles below the jaw.

They inhabit reef slopes from only 1 meter to a depth of 35 meters. When in shallow waters, swimmers may accidentally tread on them which may cause painful injury from the venomous spines.