Macro
Ambon scorpionfish
Pteroidichthys amboinensis
IUCN status: Least concern
A small, heavily camouflaged scorpionfish with long eyebrow appendages and skin filaments that sway like drifting algae. Described from Ambon in 1856 and found from the Red Sea east to Fiji, north to southern Japan and south to Australia. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
- Max size
- About 12cm (5in)
- Habitat
- Soft substrate and algae between roughly 7 and 43m; at home on the black-sand slopes it is named for
Best places to dive with Ambon scorpionfish
rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak season
Ambon
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
A standard find on the Laha slopes year-round, though 'standard' still means a guide spotting a motionless, algae-coloured fish on sand. Easy to swim straight past unaided.
Sources & last checked
Checked August 2026
This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.
- Pteroidichthys amboinensis, Ambon scorpionfish — FishBase
- Pteroidichthys amboinensis — Wikipedia
- Dive sites in Ambon, Banda, Halmahera (Indonesia) — Starfish.ch (Teresa Zubi)