The Red Lionfish – Beauty or Beast?

Pterois volitans, commonly known as the Red Lionfish, is as strikingly beautiful as it is terrifying. Mostly found in the warm Indo-Pacific waters, exquisite zebra patterns of red and white stripes distinguish this fish, as well as the enlarged pectoral and elongated dorsal fin spines. The average maximum size ranges from 11-15 inches with a maximum weight of 1.2 kg. Although incredibly beautiful, the Red Lionfish are said to be one of the most venomous fish on the planet. If bothered, the fish spread and display their fins and then portray and attack with the dorsal spines. The dorsal spines are equipped with venom capable of delivering painful stinging reactions in humans, and even death in rare instances. Much more in-depth information is available on this website by navigating the links, so enjoy!

To begin, let's take a look at the Classification of the red lionfish.