These fish also live in shallow waters and stay most of the time on sandy and rocky bottoms feeding on crustacea and coastal fish, mainly sea-dwellers. They can be found in sandy beaches, rocky coastlines and in coral reefs to a depth of 93 m. They usually inhabit warm tropical and subtropical seas but some prefer the temperate zone. The skin resembles algae or sponges and is often mottled, with patches of red or blue. Sea scorpions are well camouflaged, which makes them difficult to distinguish from rocks and seaweed. Besides, their low mobility makes them even harder to notice.

Some species reach 43 cm in length. Sea scorpions have a variable number of dorsal spines with venom glands. The spines are covered with skin that is much thicker than that of a lion-fish. Generally, scorpionfish produce milder stings than lion-fish but there are some species that can cause very strong pain.

Scorpionfish are not important for the economy but they have very tender and tasty flesh. Some species are endangered.