Biodiversity & Conservation

Bull rout - Myoxocephalus scorpius

Myoxocephalus scorpius

Image Paul Naylor - Myoxocephalus scorpius, bull rout. Image width ca XX cm.
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Distribution map

Myoxocephalus scorpius recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

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Myoxocephalus scorpius is not listed under any importance categories.

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy Taxon English term
Phylum Chordata Sea squirts, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals
Class Actinopterygii Ray-finned fish, e.g. sturgeon, eels, fin fish, gobies, blennies, and seahorses
Authority (Linnaeus, 1758)
Recent synonyms None
Map icon Recorded Distribution in Britain and Ireland Widely distributed throughout British and Irish waters.
Habitat information icon Habitat information The bull rout is a coastal benthic species usually found on rocky bottoms with sand or mud at depths down to 50 m.
Text page icon Description Myoxocephalus scorpius is a moderately sized species of scorpionfish occasionally reaching as much as 60 cm in length. It has a large, broad head with warty protuberances and spines. It has a large, slightly downward pointing mouth and large dorsal eyes. Its body tapers gradually from the head to the tail. It has two dorsal fins narrowly attached. Its fins are tall, large and rounded apart from the the pelvic fins which consists of just three rays. The bull rout is green-brown above and often has dark blotches and bright milky-white spots above the pectoral fins. The underside is either cherry red (males) or light orange (females). The fins are mottled or with dark bands.
Identifying features
  • Up to 60 cm in length.
  • Large, broad and spiny head.
  • Large lips and eyes.
  • Large mottled fins.
  • No space between the dorsal fins.
  • Mottled green-brown upper colouration.
Additional information icon Additional information No text entered

This review can be cited as follows:

Morvan Barnes 2008. Myoxocephalus scorpius. Bull rout. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 31/07/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=3843>