Otherwise referred to as the zebrafish, the red lionfish can easily be identified by their red and white vertical stripes and their long separated dorsal fins and fan-like pectoral fins. Red lionfish range in size, but typically grow to be a little over a foot in length.
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| Lionfish are an invasive species to Atlantic reefs |
The red lionfish's scientific name is
Pterois volitans, and it belongs to the family Scorpaenidae, or scorpionfishes. The major characteristic that all scorpionfishes have in common is that they are venomous. Scorpionfishes also all have fleshy appendages on their heads and have a stocky body shape. Many species of scorpionfishes are camouflaged and use this tactic to capture prey. The red lionfish, however, is in no way camouflaged and makes its highly venomous dorsal and pectoral fins known. Instead of ambushing, the red lionfish uses its fan-like pectoral fins to corner its prey where it then makes a quick lunge and swallows it whole.
Red lionfish are an invasive species in these waters. They are native to the Pacific ocean and are commonly found from western Australia to French Polynesia. Since red lionfish are not endemic to Atlantic reef systems, they have no known predators. With no population control, red lionfish have flourished in the Atlantic and can now be found throughout the Caribbean, Florida, and even as far north as Long Island. Unfortunately, Lionfish possess incredible appetites and consume shrimp, small fish, and the young of many important commercial fish species such as snappers and groupers.
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| The only good Lionfish is a dead Lionfish |
It is still unknown the impact red lionfish will have on both the Atlantic reef systems and the commercial fishing industry. The good news is that red lionfish are delicious and a campaign is underway in the Caribbean to promote red lionfish as food for islanders. In Florida, the recreational diving community has been at the forefront of Red Lionfish control through spearfishing. Many dive shops, conservation groups, and concerned divers have put together lionfish hunting tournaments with prize money for the team who kills the most red lionfish. These methods certainly cannot eliminate red lionfish, but they can attempt to keep them at manageable levels and slow red lionfish population growth.
Even with these initatives, controlling red lionfish populations will be a chanllenge due to its life cycle. A single female red lionfish produces between 2,000 and 15,000 eggs each time she mates. When spawning season arrives females externally release their eggs and males then fertilize them.
References: "Pterois Volitans." Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) at Fort Pierce. Web. 11 Jan. 2011. <http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/pterois_volitans.htm>.
