Stocky fish with a broad head and mottled brown and cream skin.

Cabezon

Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
Where at Shedd?
Oceans Abbott Oceanarium
Diet Fishes, crustaceans, mollusks and worms
Size Length: Up to 39 inches (99 cm)
Type Fishes
Range Eastern Pacific
Habitat Rocky and sandy bottoms, mud flats and kelp forests in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico

Did you know?

  1. Cabezón means “big-headed” in Spanish. That name fits this fish, as it has a large head compared to the size of its body. A big mouth, too!
  2. Look for cabezons along rock ledges. If you see a greenish one, it’s probably female. The reddish ones are male. Both colors provide good camouflage.
  3. Cabezon eggs are kept safe in two ways. The male parent aggressively guards them until they hatch. And if that weren’t enough, the eggs are toxic to predators