A Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is also known as the Turkey Fish or Dragon Fish. [1] The lionfish are voracious predators. When they are hunting, they corner prey using their large fins and then use their quick reflexes to swallow the prey whole. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon, or white.
While the hardiness and disease resistance of the lionfish make their care relatively simple, the venom of the spines is extremely painful, and lionfish are recommended for only the careful aquarist.
The lionfish is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region of the world, but various species can be found worldwide. Due to a recent introduction, the lionfish has recently been spotted in the warmer coral regions of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.[2] It is unclear how lionfish made the jump from one ocean to the other, but many scientists suspect that the home aquarium trade is to blame 3,4. Successful breeding of the lionfish in captivity has not been reported.
Size The common Lionfish generally reaches a size of 30cm (1ft) to 35cm. Smaller Lionfish i.e. Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish reach a size of about a tennis ball (not including fins) most Lionfish are suitable for saltwater home aquariums, as long as they are not with shrimps, as they will be eaten.
Lionfish have venomous spines that are deadly to their prey, but usually not to humans. If a human is invenomated, that person will experience severe pain and possible headaches and vomiting. The best treatment is soaking the afflicted area in hot water, as very few hospitals carry any sort of specific treatment. However, immediate emergency medical treatment is still advised, as some people may be more susceptible to the venom than others.
