Lionfish

The spectacular Lionfish is in the Scorpionfish family. It is a nocturnal hunter and feeds on small fish, which is herded into a corner with the fins before swallowed.

At daytime are most Lionfishes resting in caves or crevices. But as the pictures shows, they can also bee seen in the open during daytime.

A dive instructor told me that he once tried to push a Lionfish to get a picture of it, with the result that he was stung by two of the spines. It was very, very painful. Fortunately, the pain can be relieved with heat (see "First aid" page).

The Lionfish can be up to 30 cm in length.