The spotted scorpionfish is among the most common scorpionfish on Caribbean coral reefs. But it is seldom seen by impatient divers because it is so well camouflaged.

Mostly, they lie motionless on the bottom, blending naturally with the background and waiting on an unsuspecting meal to wander fatally close. They often appear so confident in their ability to blend in, they will not move when approached very close or even touched.

The scorpionfish protects itself instead with an armament of venomous spines within its dorsal fin. Each hollow spine is connected to a venom gland which, when the fish is stepped on or harassed from above, injects its attacker like a hypodermic.