: a large family of carnivorous usually bottom-dwelling marine spiny-finned fishes (suborder Scorpaenoidea) having a large head with usually one or more pairs of spiniferous ridges above, wide gill openings, usually ctenoid scales, a dorsal fin that is typically supported by strong spines which in some forms have poison glands and inflict severe wounds, occurring in all seas but most abundant in the Pacific, and including numerous forms that are used for food see rockfish, scorpion fish
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Scorpaena, type genus + -idae
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