Fast Facts

-A sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and can cause nausea and breathing difficulties.
-Its fins have spines that are as sharp as needles.
-Considered one of the most poisonous fish in the world.
-The lifespan of the lionfish in the wild can be around 15 years on average.
-Within the past eight years, the Indo-Pacific red lionfish has spread to the Atlantic and been spotted from the Bahamas to as far north as Long Island, New York!
-Lionfish can remain perfectly motionless in water and their vivid vertical stripes and spiny rays allow them to be camouflaged in coral reefs.
-They eat just about anything that will fit in their mouth which includes shrimp, small fishes, and crabs.
-They will often spread their feathery pectoral fins and herd small fish into a confined space where it can more easily swallow them.
-Cannibalism in the red lionfish has been observed.
-Maximum size is approximately 15 inches.
-Mating involves circling around each other in an almost dance-like fashion.
-Lionfish do most of their hunting at night.
-It is a prized aquarium fish, mainly due to its spectacular appearance.
-Lionfish are solitary fish with virtually no known predators or parasites.
-Proliferation of this non-indigenous species could be considered invasive and may cause environmental dangers as well as be hazardous to human beings.