Scorpaena sumptuosa was first formally described in 1875 by the French naturalist François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau with the type locality given as Fremantle in Western Australia.

[2] The specific name sumptuosa means "magificent" in Latin, Castelnau did not explain this but it may refer to the deep red colour of this species.

It is closely related to the ghost scorpionfish (Scorpaena gasta) but is larger, has fewer tentacles on the flanks and more variable in colour.

It is a mottled red to brown colour marked with two wide vertical bands on the body, these extend onto the fins.

[8] Scorpaena sumptuosa is an ambush predator, they lie motionless for lengthy periods, among corals, algae and benthic invertebrates and use their prehensile mouths to suck in prey which comes in range.