Rhinopias frondosa was first formally described in 1892 by the German-born British zoologist Albert Günther with the type locality given as Mauritius.

[5] The specific name frondosa means "branched or full of leaves", an allusion to the fleshy tentacles which cover most of the body of this fish.

[2] The soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin has two small black spots that have a diameter smaller than that of the orbit.

[2] Like most Scorpaenidae, weedy scorpionfish are mostly nocturnal ambush hunters, using their camouflage to prey on unsuspecting fish and invertebrates.

Although they can be found in Eastern waters, they are mostly exported to the west where they fetch a high price due to the difficulty of identifying them in the wild and their issues with contracting diseases from live feeder options as it is extremely difficult to wean them onto prepared food.