Scorpionfish

Photo: Orosz Zoltan · © all rights reserved

Large red scorpionfish are the apex ambush predator on Sveti Nikola's rocky reef sections, blending with encrusted limestone so convincingly that divers frequently pass within arm's reach without noticing them. Their elaborate fin rays carry venom glands, a passive defence they rarely need to use against humans. At night they become actively mobile, hunting wrasse and gobies across the reef.