Many of you might have spotted lion fish in aquariums. A fish with a unique appearance, it is an invasive predator. Its fins are venomous and are capable of producing painful, puncture wounds. A sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and can cause nausea and breathing difficulties.
This fish is endemic to the South Pacific and Indian oceans. Lion fish corner their prey against reefs and rocks, then strike suddenly to swallow the prey as a whole. They have the unique ability to expand their stomachs to accommodate prey of larger sizes.
The best known lion fish species is perhaps the red lion fish with red-and-white zebra stripes. Their venom is dangerous and it has lightning-fast reflexes to capture prey, mainly fish and shrimp.
Lion fish threaten reef systems by preying on fish that clean the reef and keep it healthy.