Nice to Meet You....Lionfish

You know they are bad, and don't touch 'em whatsoever, but here are a few things you may not have known.

Fast Facts

Type:

Fish

Diet:

Carnivore

Average life span in the wild:

Up to 15 years

Size:

11.8 to 15 in (30 to 38 cm)

Weight:

Up to 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)

Group name:

School

Did you know?

A lionfish will often spread its feathery pectoral fins and herd small fish into a confined space where it can more easily swallow them.

Size relative to a tea cup:

 

Pretty much everything about the venomous lionfish—its red-and-white zebra stripes, long, showy pectoral fins, and generally cantankerous demeanor—says, "Don't touch!"
The venom of the lionfish, delivered via an array of up to 18 needle-like dorsal fins, is purely defensive. It relies on camouflage and lightning-fast reflexes to capture prey, mainly fish and shrimp. A sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and can cause nausea and breathing difficulties, but is rarely fatal.
Lionfish, also called turkey fish, dragon fish and scorpion fish, are native to the reefs and rocky crevices of the Indo-Pacific, although they've found their way to warm ocean habitats worldwide.
The largest of lionfish can grow to about 15 inches (0.4 meters) in length, but the average is closer to 1 foot (0.3 meters).
Lionfish are popular in some parts of the world as food, but are far more prized in the aquarium trade. Their population numbers are healthy and their distribution is growing, causing some concerned in the United States, where some feel the success of this non-indigenous species presents human and environmental dangers.

(Thanks National Geographic for the above information)

Lionfish are:
1) Voracious predators being shown to eat native fish and crustaceans in large quantities, including both ecologically and economically important species like grunts, snapper, nassau grouper, and cleaner shrimp
2) Not known to have any native predators
3) Equipped with venomous dorsal, ventral and anal spines, which deter predators and can cause painful wounds to humans
4) Capable of reproducing year-round with unique reproduction mechanisms not commonly found in native fishes (females can reproduce every 4 days!)
5) Relatively resistant to parasites, giving them another advantage over native species
6) Fast in their growth, able to outgrow native species with whom they compete for food and space

Some recent articles regarding LionFish

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/innovation/lionfish-infestation-atlantic-linendoll/

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1021/Lionfish-invasion-An-unabated-siege-of-the-Atlantic

Any more questions or curiosity, or looking for a Lionfish cookbook, let us know in the shop and we can take care of you.