Scorpaena guttata is a species of fish in the scorpionfish family known by the common name California scorpionfish. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it can be found along the coast of California and Baja California. Its distribution extends from around Santa Cruz, California, to Punta Abreojos in Baja California Sur, and out to Guadalupe Island. It is also found in the Gulf of California. Another common name is spotted scorpionfish. Description This fish reaches up to 43 to 47 cm (17 to 19 in) in length. It is reddish brown in color with many brown and black spots, especially on the fins. The head is spiny. It does not have a swim bladder; it spends most of its time on the ocean floor. Habitat This is a demersal marine fish which may venture to ocean depths up to 183 meters, but it is usually in shallower waters, up to about 30 meters. It is found along rocky bottoms just offshore or in bays. It inhabits underwater caves. It does not necessarily stay in one territory; mark and recapture experiments observed individuals traveling up to 200 kilometers, with one moving from near Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands to Long Beach over the course of about 14 months. Another fish traveled at a speed of about 2.2 kilometers per day.
