Lionfish

Lionfish
Pterois volitans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Tribe: Pteroini
Genus: Pterois
Oken, 1817[1]
Type species
Scorpaena volitans
Bloch, 1787[2]
Synonyms[1]
  • Macrochirus Swainson, 1839
  • Pseudomonopterus Bleeker, 1863
  • Pteroleptus Swainson, 1839
  • Pteropterus Swainson, 1839
Lionfish have 18 venomous spines total: 2 pelvic spines, 3 anal spines, and 13 dorsal spines

Pterois is a genus of venomous marine fish, commonly known as lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific. It is characterized by conspicuous warning coloration with red or black bands, and ostentatious dorsal fins tipped with venomous spines.[3][4] Pterois radiata, Pterois volitans, and Pterois miles are the most commonly studied species in the genus. Pterois species are popular aquarium fish.[3] P. volitans and P. miles are recent and significant invasive species in the west Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Mediterranean Sea.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Scorpaenidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  2. ^ Gilbert Whitley (1939). "Ichthyological genotypes: Desmarest's designations, 1874". Australian Zoologist. 9 (3): 222–226.
  3. ^ a b National Geographic (11 April 2010). "Lionfish". Archived from the original on 13 January 2010.
  4. ^ Whitfield, P. E.; Hare, J. A.; David, A. W.; Harter, S. L.; Muñoz, R. C.; Addison, C. M. (2007). "Abundance estimates of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans/miles complex in the Western North Atlantic". Biological Invasions. 9 (1): 53–64. doi:10.1007/s10530-006-9005-9. S2CID 41535139.
  5. ^ Merrington, Andrew (28 June 2016). "Lionfish invading the Mediterranean Sea". Plymouth University.
  6. ^ "Invasive Lionfish Arrive in the Mediterranean". Scientific American. 28 June 2016.
  7. ^ Kletou, Demetris; Hall-Spencer, Jason M.; Kleitou, Periklis (2016). "A lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has begun in the Mediterranean Sea". Marine Biodiversity Records. 9. doi:10.1186/s41200-016-0065-y. hdl:10026.1/5103. S2CID 390623.