Lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans (Linnaeus)

Common names: Lionfish, lion fish, zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, red lionfish, butterfly cod, ornate butterfly-cod, peacock lionfish, red firefish, scorpion volitans

Native To: Pacific Ocean

Date of U.S. Introduction: 1992

Images: Google

Videos: Pterois volitans (or click Play button below) and Google Videos

Means of Introduction: Aquarium trade

Impact: Preys on native species; has venomous spines

Current U.S. Distribution: Current Lionfish sightings distribution (updated daily); (Map)

Management Plans: Aquatic Species

Selected Internet Resources:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• University/Academic
• International
• Organizations

Pterois volitans
Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
Taxonomy

An Integrated Assessment of the Introduction of Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) to the Western Atlantic Ocean (Hare, J.A., and Whitfield, P.E., 2003; PDF | 407 KB)
DOC. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion

Lionfish
DOC. NOAA. Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Habitat; Distribution; Special Note: Lionfish Fact Sheet (PDF | 133 KB)

Lionfish Discovered along the South Atlantic Coast: A Curiosity…or a Wake up Call?
DOC. NOAA. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Controls

Pterois volitans Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database
USDA. National Agricultural Library.
Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)

Lionfish! (PDF | 218 KB)
DOI. FWS. New Jersey Field Office.
Photographs; Introduction History

Pterois volitans - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
DOI. USGS. Florida Integrated Science Center.
Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Special Note: Distribution by county

Red Lionfish - Photo Gallery
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Photographs

Red Lionfish - Biological Profiles
University of Florida. Florida Museum of Natural History. Ichthyology Department.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Habitat; Distribution

Pterois volitans
University of Michigan. Museum of Zoology. Animal Diversity Web.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion

Lionfish - Introduced Species Summary Project
Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Controls

Red lionfish - Species Summary
FishBase.org.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion

Pterois volitans (fish) - ISSG Global Invasive Species Database
World Conservation Union. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Jaws It's Not, But New US resident Is No Pal (Mar 22, 2002)
Christian Science Monitor.
Introduction History; Photographs

Biological invasion of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans along the Atlantic coast of North America (Vol. 235: 289-297, 2002; PDF | 494 KB)
Marine Ecology Progress Series.
Research; Special Note: Article requires subscription to access