A waspfish that sits part-buried on silt with the first dorsal spines extended into long separate filaments.
To about 15 cm, mottled brown and cream, with the first few dorsal spines extended into long separate filaments and a heavily fringed body outline. It sits part-buried on silt with only the head and the filaments showing, and the filaments are usually what is seen first.
It is a waspfish and it does not move when approached, which is the whole of the hazard: the dorsal spines are venomous and the animal is on the ground a diver kneels on. Like several of the group it sheds its skin periodically, which is thought to remove the algae and hydroids that grow on a fish that stays still. It walks on its lower pectoral rays rather than swimming and is found on silt and fine sand rather than on reef.
Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.
