#pterois

Common Lionfish (Pterois miles), family Scorpaenidae, order Perciformes, off the coast of Sri Lanka

Also known as the Indian lionfish or Devil firefish

Venomous spines

Native to the Indo-Pacific, this fish has established itself as an invasive species in American waters

Common in the aquarium trade

Red lion fish (Pterois volitans) swimming through the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm in the Red Sea, near Egypt, Africa

lionfish (genus pterois): a danger to atlantic coral reefs

lionfish are very popular aquarium fish and are easily recognizable by their large, venomous spines, fan-like fins and distinct colouration. they are native to the southern pacific and indian oceans.

lionfish are invasive in southeastern US and caribbean coastal waters. sightings began in southern florida in 1985 and they were documented as established in the early 2000s. their diet consists of many ecologically important species of fish, such as algae-eating parrotfish that prevent seaweed from overtaking coral reefs. the lionfish population in the US continues to increase due to a lack of natural predators and the fact that they reproduce year-round, with females laying around 2 million eggs per year (or about 10,000-30,000 eggs every four days). they also compete for food against snappers and groupers, who are already struggling against overfishing.

one way to help control the invasive lionfish population is to eat them. lionfish are 100% safe for human consumption, as the only venomous part of the fish is the spines themselves. support markets that provide lionfish, or you could even go lionfish hunting yourself! lionfish is one of the best options for food in the US right now, since they're harming the ecosystem and there's an over abundance of them. this is a rare case where we want to overfish this species to extinction (at least in the US).

sources:

Deuxième étape de mon périple dans l'Ouest pour retrouver des ami(e)s lointain(e)s , Brigitte et Sylviane à La Rochelle.

L'Aquarium de la Rochelle. Encore une fois, quelques poissons me sont inconnus. Ici , c'est le 2...?

En 1, un Labre arlequin; en 3, deux Poissons-Anges impériaux au dessus de Chirurgiens jaunes ; en 4 des Hétérocongres dans leur terrier ; en 5 un Chirurgien à tache rouge ; en 6 des Rascasses volantes (Pteroïs) et pour finir un Diodon (Poisson Porc-Epic) tacheté.