The Rainbow Fish

DANA POINT⸺ Captain Marcus off of the Fury found this little guy off San Clemente Island in late May. “Here’s a fun one!” said a May 29 Facebook post from Dana Wharf Sportfishing. “Capt. Marcus caught this little fish; actually, this would be a large one for this species at San Clemente Island. Who can ID this?” There were several guesses online about the fish’s identity, the most likely being a rainbow scorpionfish. The fish is a member of the rockfish and scorpionfish family and can be found throughout the eastern Pacific from Southern California to Peru, according to National Geographic. This species hangs out around reefs living in cracks and crevices and around protective spines of long-spined urchins. The fish are small with mottled red coloration and a dark rounded spot on the lower corner of the gill cover. Although the fish is considered cryptic and rarely seen, they can reach up to 15 centimeters in length.