Red lionfish

The red lionfish is a striking predatory marine fish in the family Scorpaenidae, native to the Indo-Pacific and now an invasive species in the western Atlantic. It has bold red, white, and brown vertical stripes and long, fan-like pectoral fins with venomous dorsal spines used for defense. It is a slow-moving, solitary ambush predator that is peaceful toward fish too large to eat but will readily swallow smaller tankmates. It is best housed alone or with similarly sized, robust species. A lionfish needs a spacious tank with rockwork and open swimming areas. It is a carnivore that hunts fish and crustaceans; captive specimens should be trained onto meaty frozen foods such as silversides and shrimp rather than live feeder fish. Its venomous spines demand cautious handling, as stings are extremely painful to humans.