Lionfish

Women‍‍`s Corner
June 21, 2022

Scientific Name: Pterois volitans

Common Name: Lionfish, lionfish, zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, red lionfish, butterfly cod, ornate butterfly-cod, peacock lionfish, red firefish, scorpion volitans

Native To the Western Pacific Ocean

Date of U.S. Introduction: 1980s

Means of Introduction: Aquarium trade

Impact: Preys on native species; has venomous spines

Native to the Indo-Pacific, the lionfish is a species of reef fish easily recognized by a striking display of red and white zebra striping and protruding venomous spines. Biologists believe they were probably introduced when aquarium owners emptied unwanted pet lionfish into nearby coastal waters.

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Lionfish were first officially reported in the western Atlantic Ocean in 1985. Since 2004, these fish have spread very rapidly throughout the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico. The USGS, which tracks the spread of lionfish has created an animation showing their range expansion.

The lionfish is a carnivorous fish native to the Indo-Pacific that is now an invasive species in the Atlantic.

The lionfish, a longstanding showstopper in home aquariums, is a flourishing invasive species in U.S. Southeast and Caribbean coastal waters. This invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because it is a top predator that competes for food and space with overfished native stocks such as snapper and grouper.

Scientists fear that lionfish will also kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrotfish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs. In the U.S., the lionfish population is continuing to grow and increase its range. This is large because lionfish have no known predators and reproduce all year long; a mature female release roughly two million eggs a year.

One of the best-known species is the red lionfish (Pterois volitans), an impressive fish sometimes kept by fish fanciers. It is striped with red, brown, and white and grows to about 30 cm (12 inches) long. The red lionfish is native to South Pacific reef ecosystems.

Information collected from Google.