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Nemapterois biocellatus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth2–26 m
  • Water temperature25–30 °C
  • Best monthsMay, June, and September
  • How commonRare
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Photo credit: (c) Jake Osborne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

Nemapterois biocellatus, the Fu Manchu lionfish, twospot turkeyfish, twinspot lionfish, twoeyed lionfish or ocellated lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. This species is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific region, In the wild, the species eats small fish as well as shrimp.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Nemapterois biocellatus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 11 records
  • February: 22 records
  • March: 18 records
  • April: 26 records
  • May: 37 records
  • June: 34 records
  • July: 28 records
  • August: 21 records
  • September: 33 records
  • October: 25 records
  • November: 22 records
  • December: 16 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 2–26 m · Deepest record: 65.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 24 records
  • 10–20 m: 21 records
  • 20–30 m: 7 records
  • 30–40 m: 3 records
  • 40–50 m: 0 records
  • 50–60 m: 1 records
  • 60–70 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 25–30 °C

  • 24–26 °C: 3 records
  • 26–28 °C: 25 records
  • 28–30 °C: 50 records

Names and classification

Names in 1 more languages
Japanese
Hireboshiminokasago, ヒレボシミノカサゴ

Other scientific names: Dendrochirus biocellatus, Nemapterois biocellata

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 80 open-data records from 1938 to 2015.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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