The Caribbean is famous for its many diverse fish, shellfish and other marine life. It is for this reason that people love diving in the resorts of the Caribbean. It is here that the lionfish lives - a fish that has an expressive appearance. Despite all the beauty, its spikes are very poisonous, so not only divers, but also bathers should be careful. A few years ago, zebra fish were not in the Caribbean, it lived only in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
General information about fish
As noted above, this creature is considered very beautiful, but at the same time is a rather dangerous specimen of the scorpion family. It should be noted that this fish has several popular names, for example, zebra fish, lion fish, striped lionfish. Since the habitat is usually limited to the coastal zone and places where there are a lot of corals, tourists need to be careful, because stepping on it with your foot will give you a 100% chance of getting a dose of poison. Adults reach 30-40 centimeters in length, and weight, as a rule, does not exceed the mark of 1 kilogram. Color - this is what is most interesting in this individual. Rays-processes that open only during hunting or danger, can be of different colors: brown, gray and even red. The head of this seemingly harmless fish, in spikes, and near the mouth there are tentacles similar to those that the catfish have.
Lionfish: photos and features
It is safe to say that among all the other inhabitants of the oceans and seas you will know this right away. This is due to the fact that the fish has a number of features. For example, the absence of rays on the pectoral fins, as well as a large oblique mouth with teeth. Please note that the bright color of this representative of the scorpionids suggests that you should not get too close and serves as a warning sign. But if marine life understands such signals, then a person immediately looks for an underwater camera and gets closer for a high-quality picture. Believe me, it is better to find photos taken by someone earlier than to risk your health in order to see what lionfish is. The fish, of course, does not attack first, especially those who are larger in size, however it will definitely defend itself. Its peculiarity is that the coloring allows you to disguise yourself anywhere, be it corals, algae or something else.
Is lionfish dangerous for humans or not?
We will not pull for a long time and frankly say yes. There were even fatal cases, and all this because of negligence and excessive curiosity. As noted above, this fish has a large number of rays. Some of them are soft and not dangerous, while others are hard. Inside, deep channels pass through which poison flows. The more injections received, the worse the consequences. This poison always causes paralysis of the respiratory and skeletal muscles, and since the swimmer or diver is supposedly under water, it can easily drown. Therefore, the victim needs to call for help as quickly as possible and get out of the water. At the injection site, small swelling forms, and the wound will hurt for a long time.
Habitat expansion
Under favorable conditions, the fish develops quite quickly, which causes concern. For example, in recent years, lionfish has appeared in the popular resorts of Cuba, Florida, Haiti, etc. First of all, it is dangerous for lovers of sea holidays, as it can easily be spoiled by stepping where the fish rest. But this is not all. Since under favorable conditions the lionfish breeds very quickly and is a predatory individual, it is a danger to other marine inhabitants, in particular, smaller ones. Most likely, in the near future, scientists will take some measures to reduce the population of lion fish.
A bit about keeping in the aquarium
In recent years, the maintenance of such fish in captivity has become extremely popular. No, no, this is not done for the purpose of conducting experiments, people just buy lionfish and keep it in the aquarium. In principle, this is due to its attractive and exotic appearance. It is necessary to create optimal conditions for the maintenance of such an individual as lionfish. The fish in the aquarium should feel comfortable, for this you need to know several important points. Firstly, the volume of the aquarium should not be less than 200 liters. In addition, it is necessary to take care of filtration and aeration. To do this, buy a special compressor. Since the lionfish is poisonous, it simply adores disguising itself and waiting for its prey. In order not to spoil the feeling of realism, take care of installing large shells, snags, corals and other shelters. As for the feed, a small herb shrimp or something like that is suitable for starters. When the fish is a little older, it is necessary to give her food containing meat or fish. It can even be purchased frozen minced meat.
Passive and active hunting
The lionfish spends most of its free time resting with its belly up, not far from air pockets or caves. Twilight activity suggests that this species preys mainly in the evenings. The fish for itself determines how to get food this time. If this is a passive hunt, then the lionfish widely sets its fins and camouflages itself in corals or algae. Careless prey comes too close to the predator and in a split second is in its belly. By the way, the lionfish swallows its victim whole, while not always using poisonous rays. More often they go when the fish feels danger. As for active hunting, in this case the lionfish practically does not use its disguise. She chases after her victim until she pushes her into a trap. There she quickly neutralizes it and eats it. By the way, often the lion fish itself becomes prey, even despite the fact that it is poisonous. Some larger inhabitants eat lionfish without any problems for their health.
