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Red Lionfish
Did you know?
Red Lionfish are also known as lionfish. They live near coral reefs in the tropical Pacific and the Red Sea. Juveniles often leave their home coral reefs to find a new habitat. This explains the wide distribution of lionfish species. In recent years, Red Lionfish have also colonised the Atlantic on the US coast and in the Mediterranean. The animals were released there by aquarium owners and quickly settled in.
Red Lionfish can be easily recognised by their special colouring and the fan-shaped pectoral fins and rays on their fins and back. Some of these rays are hard spines that contain glands with venom. Although this venom is not fatal to humans, it can lead to severe physical reactions. As the injected toxin is thermolabile, immersing the affected part of the body in hot water helps to neutralise it.
At nightfall, it is possible to observe large groups of Red Lionfish in the wild in search of food. The Red Lionfish often hunt together with some of their conspecifics and use their pectoral fins to drive their prey into a corner and then suck it in. Larger animals often feed on small fish, while smaller specimens increasingly hunt crustaceans as prey.
