Description
Lionfish are marine fish that are mainly red, brown and white
and have a striped, zebra-like appearance. They grow to
approximately 12-15 inches in length; however they have been noted
to be larger in areas where they are not indigenous. The
pectoral fins are long and showy, and with a row of long, dorsal
spines. Each spine contains a venom gland in the distal third of
the spine (but not at the tip). Lionfish venom causes pain but is
rarely lethal.
Native Range
South Pacific and Indian Oceans
Florida Distribution
Lionfish were first reported off Florida's Atlantic Coast near
Dania Beach in 1985; in the 1990s four reports were made near
Miami, Boca Raton and Palm Beach and one report came from
Bermuda. In 2000 the species began to be recorded off the
Atlantic coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia,
while reports from Bermuda and Florida continued. By 2005 the
first report was made from the Bahamas. The species has now
been regularly recorded all along the east coast of Florida, with
multiple observations throughout the Florida Keys, and they are
widespread in the
Caribbean. Individual lionfish have been collected or were
observed in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola and
Apalachicola in 2010.
Introduced Range Map
USGS
Impacts
Lionfish are a predatory reef fish. They eat native fish,
which can reduce native populations and have negative effects on
the overall reef habitat as they can eliminate organisms which
serve important ecological roles (e.g. herbivorous fish which keep
algae in-check on the reefs.) Lionfish also compete for food
with native predatory fish such as grouper and snapper.
Current Status
Lionfish are spreading throughout Florida's waters, undoubtedly
from the established populations in the Caribbean. Juvenile
lionfish have been caught, and it is likely that the species is
reproducing at hospitable reef sites in Florida. They have
been found in shallow waters to depths of 1000 ft.
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