#fishspecies

It’s time to learn some #FridayFactsabout#Lionfish;
1. The lionfish is a carnivorous & venomous fish belonging to the genus Pterois, native to the Indo-Pacific.
2. Also called zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, tastyfish or butterfly-cod, it is characterized by conspicuous warning coloration with red, white, creamy, or black bands, showy pectoral fins, and venomous spiky fin rays.
3. The lionfish, a longstanding showstopper in home aquariums, is a flourishing invasive species in U.S. Southeast and Caribbean coastal waters.
4. This invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because lionfish will kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrot fish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs. Their populations are also growing because lionfish have no known predators and reproduce all year long; a mature female releases roughly two million eggs a year