Anatomy and Body:
Body Description:
~Brown, Red, or Maroon color with white stripes
~Fan-like pectoral fins
~Spiny dorsal fins
~Cycloid Scales
Spines:
~13 dorsal spine
~10-11 dorsal soft rays
~3 anal spines
~6-7 anal soft rays.
Size:
~Largest recorded was a little under 2 feet.
~Usually between 11-15 inches
~Weigh up to 2.6lbs.
~Relative size of a tea cup
~Reach adult size in approximately 2 years
Reproduction:
~Females release 10,000-30,000 unfertilized eggs into wild every FOUR days
~Females are sexually mature at age 1
~Average female lays 29,120,000 eggs in lifespan
~Unfertilized eggs have chemical to dissuade predators from eating
Lifespan:
~Live for an average of 16 years in the wild
~Longer in Captivity
Diet:
~Diverse
~Up to 40 species
~Adapts to environment
Predators:
~Some sharks, eels, groupers,
~Most animals stay away from the lionfish
Fun Facts:
~Die when water temperature reaches 50 degrees fahrenheit
~Visually sighted to depths of 1,000 feet
~Stomach can expand up to 30 times normal size
~A single small lionfish may reduce the number of juvenile native fish on any given reef by approximately 79% in just 5 weeks.
~ One lionfish was once found with 60 different fish species in its stomach
Sources Used:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/factsheet.html
Lionfish Lovers 