Stats

Lifespan: 10-15 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Coral reef
Range: Indo-Pacific
Movement: Swimming
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Venom
Status: Uncommon

About

The Indian Lionfish is a venomous reef fish native to the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, instantly recognizable by its dramatic fan-like pectoral fins and bold alternating red and cream stripes. Its hollow dorsal spines inject a painful venom used purely for defense — not predation.

Life cycle

1.
hatchling fry
A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2.
juvenile
A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3.
adult
Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Genus: Pterois
Species: Pterois miles