February 2016 Marsh & Bayou | Page 10

Those OTHER FISH Lionfish an Introduced Exotic 10 The colorful and charismatic Lionfish, Pterois volitans, is a member of the venomous Scorpionfish family, Scorpaenidae. This family is composed of members such as the Firefish, Goblinfish, and Rockfish. Lionfish have distinctive brown or maroon coloration with white stripes or bands, covering the head and body. They have fleshy tentacles above their eyes and below their mouth and have fan-like pectoral fins, along with long dorsal fin spines, making them very ornate in appearance. The dorsal and anal fin spines of this species are what make it so dangerous by delivering a venomous sting that can last for days and ca \