Red lionfish
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| Pterois volitans Linnaeus, 1758 |
The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a very poisonous fish. It is a venomous coral reef fish from the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. The red lionfish is also found off the east coast of the United States, and was likely first introduced off the Florida coast in the early to mid 1990s. By the summer of 2001, it was found along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Florida to Long Island, New York.
Red lionfish have distinctive red, maroon and white stripes; fleshy tentacles above the eyes and below the mouth; fan-like pectoral fins; and long separated dorsal spines. Adults can grow as large as 17 inches, while juveniles may be as small as an inch or less. All of the spines on a lionfish are venomous, creating a danger primarily to divers and fishers if stung. Although there have been no known fatalities caused by lionfish stings, they are reportedly extremely painful.
[edit] References
- Pterois volitans (TSN 166883). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 30 January 2006.
