Pterois is a genus of venomous marine fish, commonly known as lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific.
It is characterized by conspicuous warning coloration with red or black bands, and ostentatious dorsal fins tipped with venomous spines.
Pterois radiata, Pterois volitans, and Pterois miles are the most commonly studied species in the genus. Pterois species are popular aquarium fish.
volitans and miles are recent and significant invasive species in the west Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
Prey Pterois miles hunting glassfish Pterois prey mostly on small fish, invertebrates, and mollusks, with up to six different species of prey found in the gastrointestinal tracts of some specimens.
Lionfish feed most actively in the morning. Lionfish are skilled hunters, using specialized swim bladder muscles to provide precise control of their location in the water column, allowing them to alter their center of gravity to better attack prey.
They blow jets of water while approaching prey, which serves to confuse them and alter the orientation of the prey so that the smaller fish is facing the lionfish. This results in a higher degree of predatory efficiency as head-first capture is easier for the lionfish.
The lionfish then spreads its large pectoral fins and swallows its prey in a single motion.
