2025 Austria €3 UNC Coin - Luminous Marine Life: Devil Scorpionfish

• Mint: Austrian Mint
• Denomination: €3
• Quality: UNC
• Issue limit: 65,000
• Alloy: Base Metal
• Diameter: 34 mm
• Weight: 16 grams
• Design: Kathrin Kuntner, Rebecca Wilding
• Box/Capsule: No/No
• Certificate: No

Additional Information

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The devil scorpionfish, also known as the false stonefish, is one of only 180 species known to exhibit biofluorescence. This underwater marvel is celebrated on the twelfth and final coin in the Luminous Marine Life-series, which not only shines but also transforms as its colors shift under ultraviolet light, mirroring the dazzling biofluorescent display of its real-life inspiration.

Found in the Red Sea and the tropical Indo-Pacific, the devil scorpionfish has a stocky, slightly high-backed body covered in 45 vertical rows of scales. Its head and mouth are large, but its eyes are small and set high. The devil scorpionfish tends to be mottled to varying degrees and the spines on its dorsal fin contain a painful venom. Existing primarily on a diet of other fish, the devil scorpionfish is a solitary fish that lives on the seabed, primarily in rocky habitats at depths ranging from 1 to 70 metres, but it can also be found partially buried in the sandy bottom.

The devil scorpionfish usually waits patiently for passing prey, sometimes partially buried. The wait may be long but feeding is lightning fast. Since devil scorpionfish have no teeth, they suck their prey into their gaping mouths and swallow it whole without chewing. A master of patience and precision, this extraordinary predator seamlessly blends stillness and spectacular speed.

On the reverse of the Devil Scorpionfish, a wide band, reminiscent of an old-fashioned porthole frames an aquatic scene that features a devil scorpionfish in the centre, while a seascape with coral and a shoal of fish can be seen in the background. When ultraviolet light illuminates the scorpionfish, its colors change: from a light, reddish-brown to vibrant red. All 12 of the magical sea creatures in the Luminous Marine Life series are shown in silhouette on the coin’s obverse. Air bubbles up between them and a tail fin disappears beneath the waves to the right.

All 12 of the magical sea creatures in the Luminous Marine Life series are shown in silhouette on the coin’s obverse. Air bubbles up between them and a tail fin disappears beneath the waves to the right. On the coin’s reverse, a wide band, reminiscent of an old-fashioned porthole frames an aquatic scene that features a mauve stinger in the centre. An island with palm trees can be seen above the surface of the water. When the coin is illuminated with ultraviolet light, the jellyfish glows and changes colour, so that the light brown of its bell turns blue or red, as does the pinkish purple of its tentacles and oral arms.