Striped lionfish. Zebra fish, or striped lionfish (lat.

Zebra fish (Pterois volitans) belongs to the scorpionfish family, the genus of lionfish, and the class - bony fish.

Distribution of zebra fish.

The zebra lionfish is called the lionfish

Zebra fish attack very quickly and pull their prey into their mouths with one gusty gulp. This attack is carried out so easily and quickly that the rest of the victims from the school of fish may not even notice that one of their relatives has disappeared. Zebra fish hunt fish in open water near the surface, they expect prey below 20-30 meters from the water level and look out for small schools of fish, which sometimes jump out of the water to escape other predators. And when they plunge into the water again, they become prey for lionfish.

In addition to fish, zebra fish eat invertebrates, amphipods, isopods and other crustaceans. Zebra fish glide along the substrate (rocks or sand) and vibrate the rays of their fins to drive small prey into open water.

When there is a lot of food, the fish slowly glide through the water column; they can go without food for at least 24 hours.

Zebra fish grow quickly and reach large sizes within early age. This feature increases the chances of survival and successful breeding of offspring.

Conservation status of the zebra fish.

The zebra fish is not listed as a threatened or endangered species. However, the increase in pollution in coral reefs, is expected to kill a number of species of small fish and crustaceans that zebra fish feed on. If zebra fish cannot adapt to these changes by choosing alternative food sources, then their numbers will consequently continue to decline.

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Lionfish- a generalized name for a group of fish of the scorpionfish family (Scorpaenidae), which unites more than a hundred species. Until recently, the habitat lionfish was limited to the Indo-Pacific.

They can be found in the Red Sea, coastal waters China and South Africa, southern Japanese islands, Malaysia, Australia and Polynesia. Where lionfish live at depths from 2 to 50 meters.

But at the end of the twentieth century, as a result of a typhoon that swept over the Antilles, a large private aquarium with marine aquatic organisms collected from various parts of the world's oceans was destroyed, among which were several lionfish and which, along with other fish species, ended up in the Caribbean Sea.

After this event and until recently, in the Atlantic, lionfish could only be found in the Bahamas. But several years passed and they, not without the help of careless aquarists, mastered the coastal waters of Cuba, Haiti, the Cayman Islands and Florida.

Today lionfish represent real threat local ichthyofauna, destroying crustaceans and many small coral fish.

Oregonian specialist state university Mark Hickson believes that the introduction lionfish could be the most destructive invasion in Caribbean history. But the saddest thing is that there is currently no way to stop it.

Medium size lionfish about 30 cm (maximum 40 cm). Weight up to one kilogram.

Predator, she has big mouth allowing you to swallow a fish only slightly smaller in size.

On a light body background lionfish there are gray, brown or red stripes. Thanks to which, it is often called the zebra fish.

In the west it is better known as the lion fish. U lionfish high-set eyes located close to each other. Young individuals have bizarre outgrowths above their eyes that disappear with age.

Bright colors in the animal world usually warn of danger. There is no exception to this rule and lionfish. It is distinguished from other scorpionfish by its disproportionately large, ostrich-like feathers, pectoral and dorsal fins, which hide sharp poisonous spines.

Dorsal lionfish consists of two parts, the front part is represented by a number of very long hard rays not interconnected by membranes, at the base of which poisonous glands are located, and the back part is represented by soft flexible rays.

All types lionfish They lead a sedentary, secretive lifestyle, most of the time hiding in rock crevices and caves formed by stones and corals. Despite the bright color lionfish They are well camouflaged among corals. Usually they lie tightly pressed with their belly to the surface of the ground, spreading their dangerous fins to the sides. Waiting for prey lionfish capable of remaining motionless for hours. Freezing, it becomes like a bunch of red algae. Small fish trying to use it as a shelter often end up in the mouth lionfish.

Sunset - best period for hunting lionfish, since it is at this time that the activity of the coral reef population becomes maximum. All daytime inhabitants of the reef follow to their place of overnight stay, and the animals leading night image lives go hunting. Therefore, to catch prey, lionfish you don't have to waste a lot of energy.

At dusk, lionfish glide along the rocks of a coral reef, looking for suitable prey. Having encountered one, the predator quickly draws in water along with its prey, and does it so quickly that other small fish nearby often do not have time to notice anything. And therefore lionfish can calmly continue his hunt for other members of the group.

Lionfish They are also capable of hunting in open water. They often watch for small fish near the surface when they jump out of the water, fleeing from other predators, and when plunging back they end up in the mouth lionfish.

If during a hunt the male lionfish meets another male of his own species, his color becomes darker, and the rival, who finds himself in someone else's territory, usually folds his pectoral fins and retreats.

The lionfish is a predator; it has a large mouth that allows it to swallow fish only slightly smaller in size.

Often, novice divers, seeing such an interesting and colorful fish, which also behaves quite passively, try to touch it with their hands and as a result receive a very painful injection.

Consequences of a lionfish injection

The structure of a poisonous thorn lionfish like a medical syringe, when injected, the poison from a sac located in the dorsal muscles of the lionfish rises through a channel passing inside the beam and enters the body of the attacker.

First lionfish never attacks. Bathers who accidentally step on it usually suffer from her injections.

As a result, a person experiences severe pain, often turning into temporary paralysis, and if the swimmer has not gotten out of the water by this time, he risks drowning.

Among amateurs active recreation on the water lionfish have a bad reputation, since it is believed that its injection can kill a person. However, such cases have not yet been officially recorded.

Person who received an injection lionfish for several hours he experiences sharp pain, sometimes accompanied by increased sweating, convulsions, difficulty breathing, and sometimes disruption of the heart. The injection site swells. The pain from an injection with one thorn subsides only after a few hours, but makes itself felt within a few days.

If the injection is received by several thorns, the pain can become unbearable (even to the point of loss of consciousness). The antidote is the same serum as for cobra venom; some sources report that the pain can subside if you drink a weak solution of ammonium chloride. If you do nothing, the pain will go away on its own.

It should be borne in mind that even after death lionfish its poisonous thorns are still for a long time retain their toxicity. The severity of the poison depends on the size of the fish.

Based on the above, when handling lionfish special care must be taken.

Lionfish in open water

Despite the poisonous thorns, lionfish remain one of the most popular objects for keeping in marine aquariums. Not a single publication dedicated to the inhabitants of coral reefs is complete without their photographs. Today lionfish has become one of the symbols of the marine aquarium hobby.

In this article we will talk about the most common marine fauna among lovers. lionfish- Pterois volitans.

This species is of greatest interest for keeping in an aquarium. Because in addition to the magnificent coloring, these lionfish They are also active during the daytime, swimming throughout the entire aquarium. They do not require very large containers (minimum 250 l), since by their nature lionfish not very active.

In addition, possessing a certain intelligence, over time they are able to recognize their owner.

Unlike other members of the family, it has 13 rather than 12 poisonous spines in its dorsal fin and 14 in its pectoral fins. The anal fin has three spines and 6-7 rays.

Lionfish not dangerous for large fish, so they can be kept in an aquarium with representatives of other species. They are quite suitable as inhabitants reef aquarium, since they do not spoil corals and algae.

In case of danger, such as the sight of an aquarist's hand, lionfish does not try to attack her, but turns its poisonous fins in her direction and slowly swims away. IN optimal conditions lionfish They live for years, getting used to their owner.

U lionfish there is one interesting feature, they, like reptiles, periodically molt, but their skin does not come off in stockings like the latter, but in separate flaps.

• Aquarium of at least 250 liters (optimally from 500 to 1000 liters)
• Water temperature 25 – 26°C
• pH 8.0 – 8.4
• Ammonia and nitrite content – ​​0
• Nitrates less than 20 ppm, preferably tends to zero
• Water density 1.021 – 1.025
• Water changes 10% weekly or 20% every two weeks, using osmolyte and sea ​​salt high quality
• Standard water filtration and regeneration system

It is advisable to organize active water circulation in the aquarium, but there should be areas with weak currents where the fish can rest.

Lionfish Quite hardy and disease resistant. But when water is of poor quality, the likelihood of bacterial diseases increases sharply.

Traditionally considered one of the most dangerous creatures living in the sea. Even sharks are afraid to approach them, for fear of running into their poisonous spines. And for most small fish, a prick lionfish usually becomes fatal.

But there are fish in the ocean that don't mind eating lionfish, in particular some species of moray eels. It is logical to assume that the poisonous thorns of the ingested lionfish should have called severe injuries internal organs moray eels, which would have resulted in her death. However, this does not happen; moray eels happily absorb lionfish despite their “weapons”.
Lifespan lionfish in the aquarium for about 10 years.

Lionfish Reproduction

Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, males are slightly larger and more massive than females, and they are more aggressive than individuals of the opposite sex. Shortly before spawning, the color of the males becomes darker, and the stripes on the body become less contrasting. Females, on the contrary, lighten, the lower part of their body is painted silver-white. Apparently, this coloration makes them more visible at dusk, since spawning games begin shortly before dark and are always initiated by males.

The male pursues the female moving in a circular path, after making several circles the spawners rise to the surface of the water. The pair can fall and rise several times. At the last stage, they already describe circles directly under the surface of the water.

At some point, the female spawns eggs in the form of two hollow tubes of mucus that float close to the surface. After a short period of time, these tubes fill up sea ​​water turning into oval balls with a diameter of two to five centimeters. Each such ball can contain from 2000 to 15,000 eggs. The male releases milk, which, penetrating the mucous membrane of these balls, fertilizes the eggs contained in them. 18 hours after fertilization, the formed head and eyes of the larvae become clearly visible in the egg. And after 36 hours, their mass hatching occurs. On the fourth day after spawning, the larvae turn into fry and begin to feed on microscopic crustaceans.

Reproduction in an aquarium is possible, but difficult since it requires a very large container.
Juveniles lionfish usually keeps in small groups. Having become sexually mature, they prefer a solitary lifestyle, fiercely defending their territory from other representatives of their kind, using their poisonous spines for this.

Diet

In nature, the basis of the diet lionfish They feed on small invertebrates, including various crustaceans; in addition, their diet includes small fish, including juveniles of their species. In quantitative terms, per year lionfish consume on average 8.2 times their body weight.

Watch the hunt lionfish It can be quite interesting in an aquarium. However, a fish diet is not correct. For complete nutrition lionfish Crustaceans and molluscs are needed.

Many marine aquarium owners feed their lionfish goldfish, which is a mistake and sooner or later leads to vitamin deficiency. Goldfish meat promotes the breakdown of thiamine (vitamin B1). As a result, the condition of the lionfish worsens, they become lethargic and if emergency measures are not taken, they will die prematurely. Diversify your diet lionfish You can use frozen food containing shrimp meat.

Derived from nature lionfish willingly eat only live food; at first, guppies and swordtails are suitable for this purpose, but for further maintenance they should be accustomed to frozen seafood products. If lionfish does not respond to stationary food, you should take it with tweezers and move it in front of her mouth. Gradually lionfish gets used to taking non-living food in the form of squid meat, beef heart and fish fillet.
Despite the gluttony lionfish, it is recommended to feed them no more than twice a week.

To preserve bright natural color in the diet lionfish There must be products containing carotene in their composition.

Lionfish have increased sensitivity to calcium deficiency. As a result, their bones become thinner, which most often affects the lower jaw of the fish. To prevent this undesirable phenomenon, it is recommended to add calcium glycerophosphate or other preparations containing calcium to the feed.

Lionfish are not on the list of endangered species. But the pollution of the world's oceans, which has progressed over the years, entails a reduction in the numbers of many small animal species included in the diet. lionfish. Which in turn may lead to a reduction in their numbers.

First aid for poisonous injections

If you are unlucky and get a shot lionfish, it is recommended, without waiting for severe pain, to place the affected area in a container with warm water(45°C) or until pain disappears. If the affected area of ​​the body cannot be placed in water, then you can warm it up with a hairdryer, being careful not to get a thermal burn. Heat breaks down toxic proteins, preventing toxins from spreading throughout the body. At the first opportunity, you should consult a doctor for qualified medical care.

Lionfish (Pterois volitans) - estimated price in Russia

Size	Average price per piece
Up to 6 cm (S)	3650 rub.
Up to 10 cm (M)	5300 rub.
Up to 13 cm (L)	5950 rub.
Up to 18 cm (XL)	7950 rub.

The coral reefs of the Red Sea are filled to the brim with marine life. Most of them are very colorful, incredibly bright and colorful. Just look at the lion fish, which simply amazes with its shapes and colors. This miracle of nature has other names. It is often called the striped lionfish or the zebra fish. The secret here is simple, and lies in the original color of her body. On a red background we can see a number of light stripes. Hence the name zebra. Well, the fish is called lionfish because of its fan-shaped fins, which are very similar to wings. It is clear that the fish cannot fly, but it looks very beautiful and elegant.

The lion fish lives not only in the Red Sea. You can meet it in the Indian Ocean, in the area of ​​Cuba and the island of Haiti, in the coastal waters of China, Australia and Japan. It is also found in the Caribbean islands. The fish got its name “lion” because of its fan-shaped fins, which in the water form a kind of ribbon fan, or mane. The pectoral fins of our beauty are more like wings. They are beautiful and elegant, but not at all harmless. Inside they are poisonous needles, the injection of which can be fatal.

The lionfish reaches 30 centimeters in length and can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms. This is a predator that easily swallows large sea ​​creatures. The fish is very brightly colored, which does not allow it to remain invisible. But this is not necessary. The bright color is a warning to other predators about its toxicity. The weapon of a fish, as we have already said, is hidden in its pectoral fins. These are 18 poisonous spines that the lionfish uses in case of danger. She does not attack first, and therefore does not pose a particular threat to humans. Of course, if you try to pick it up, you can get an injection, but this is a very rare case. If, however, this happens, you cannot hesitate, and you must immediately contact a medical facility.

Against the backdrop of coral reefs, the lion fish is almost invisible. It lies on the bottom, spreads its ribbon fins, and merges with the surrounding landscape. Hunts at night. It feeds on crabs, fish, shellfish, and shrimp. Having tracked down the prey, the lionfish tries to drive it into a crevice between the corals and deal with it there. It can also lie in wait for the victim, lying on the bottom. At the same time, she smoothly waves her ribbon fins, which are very similar to seaweed. A small fish swims up to them and immediately ends up in the lionfish’s mouth. The victim is swallowed whole.

Leo fish prefers a solitary lifestyle. She outlines her territory, which she strictly guards. Any competitor who finds herself in her domain will be immediately attacked. And if the female is more supportive, then the males are extremely aggressive.

Lion fish reproduce by spawning. The female lays more than 30 thousand eggs, from which larvae hatch after a few days. They feed on plankton. After their body length reaches two centimeters, they switch to normal food.

The lion fish reproduces very actively, and therefore poses a real threat to the coral reef ecosystem, eating huge amounts of fish. At the same time, it itself becomes an object of hunting, thanks to its incredibly tasty meat.

Striped lionfish or lionfish (lat. Pterois volitans)

Inhabitants underwater world are amazingly beautiful. A clear confirmation of this are lionfish. But they are not only beautiful, but also very dangerous. Several injections inflicted by their poisonous needles located on the fins lead to paralysis of the skeletal and respiratory muscles. If a person stung by a lionfish is not helped to get to shore in time, he will drown.

Striped lionfish or lionfish (lat. Pterois volitans) (eng. Common Lionfish)

In their defense, I will say that these fish never attack first, but if you disturb their peace, the offender will be severely punished.

Most often, such collisions occur due to the fault of the person himself. An inattentive swimmer can accidentally touch her with his foot when she is resting peacefully among the stones or corals, and curious divers have no reason to pull their hands towards sea ​​creatures, even if they are very beautiful.

In fact, it is a rather cute and cute creature, about 30 centimeters in length. It doesn't look much like a regular fish. Her large breasts and sophistication give her a special nobility and sophistication dorsal fins with long ribbons. But it is precisely this beauty that is the most dangerous weapon.

These luxurious fan-shaped fins conceal sharp needles with poisonous glands. One light prick and the person’s health sharply deteriorates, if several injections follow, then outside help is required, otherwise the person may simply not be able to swim to the shore on his own.

The striped lionfish has several names: zebra fish, lion fish, zebra lionfish. And they all have their place. It is compared to a zebra because of its striped coloring, consisting of gray, red and brown stripes; with a lion - because of the long fan-like fins, which give the fish the appearance of a kind of “mane”. It was nicknamed lionfish because of its large pectoral fins that resemble wings.

Its bright color acts as a warning - “Danger to life - do not approach!” For some reason, marine life understands this, but people do not always. In addition, it also performs a camouflage function, which allows the fish to quietly fit into the landscape of coral reefs and calmly wait for its prey.

Lionfish are ruthless predators. They prey on smaller fish, shrimp, crabs and shellfish. There are 2 hunting options. The first is when a fish, with the help of its long fins, drives the fish into a trap, for example, a narrow crevice between corals, where it swallows it with incredible speed.

The second is when she loosens all her “decorations” and freezes in a motionless pose. Against the backdrop of bright corals, it looks like colored algae, which is why small fish calmly swim so close to it.

If you want to try your luck, you can safely go for a swim on the Red Sea coast or visit the tropical waters off the coast of China, Japan and Australia. It is there that you can get to know this amazing fish better (if anyone has such a desire).

Not so long ago, literally 16-17 years ago, our beauty settled in another place that was not typical for her before - in the Caribbean Sea. To date, they have already spread off the coasts of Haiti, Cuba, Florida and the Cayman Islands.

Tourists vacationing at these resorts do not like this neighborhood. And the aquatic inhabitants have a hard time, since the lionfish is famous for its gluttony (it is capable of swallowing smaller fish whole, including its relatives). But sometimes it itself acts as a tasty and, apparently, safe lunch for larger fish.

The poisonous glands of the lionfish are located in 18 needles located on the back, belly and closer to the tail. Each needle contains deep channels in which poisonous glands are located. In principle, the amount of poison from a single needle injection does not pose a particular threat to life.

The injection site will be very painful, gangrene may form, convulsions and disturbances in heart activity may occur, but this will not lead to death. But if several needles have penetrated into the body and, moreover, deeply, then there is an urgent need to take emergency measures for the salvation of man.

Despite the fact that the zebra fish's venom can be fatal, there have been no documented cases of death after exposure to it.

Do you enjoy watching the amazing beauty of coral fish? They are so beautiful that you want to watch them endlessly. Here a lion fish (Pterois volitans) is slowly swimming in front of you, admiring the luxury of its outfit and hiding more than one portion of poison in the spines of its fins. Mortal danger, like the poison of a lion does not represent, but discomfort And serious condition if it gets into the wound during an injection, they are guaranteed, in rare cases it happens fatal outcome. While diving, watch these beautiful fish and do not try to pet them or grab them with your hand.

Lifestyle and distribution

Lives lion fish in the Pacific and Indian Oceans- V tropical waters near the Chinese, Japanese and Australian coasts. Most often, these fish live on coral reefs. During the day, they usually hover motionless in some secluded place among the corals, becoming almost invisible. Only the light long rays of widely spaced pectoral fins can indicate the presence of Pterois volitans. Some small fish mistake the outgrowths on the lion's body and its long fins for algae bushes. When they try to explore this bush, they are eaten.

After sitting all day in the shelter, in the evening the lion fish leave this place and, calmly moving their fins, move to another section of the reef.

Recently (about 15 years ago) a lion fish was discovered in the waters Caribbean Sea, where it had not been observed before. Further, this species began to spread to the coasts of the island of Haiti, the Florida Islands and the Florida Peninsula, to the shores of the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Fans of holidays at the resorts of these places are not particularly delighted with this proximity, because now they need to be very careful on the reefs.

Appearance and all names

The scientific Latin name for lion fish is Pterois volitans and it belongs to the order Scorpiformes. There are several Russian names for this amazing appearance inhabitants of coral reefs, and all of them are connected with her appearance. It received the name “lion” due to its distant resemblance to a maned lion, if you look at it from the front with its pectoral fins spread out to the sides. Watch the video and you will notice this.

Pterois volitans is called a zebra fish because its body is covered with transverse stripes of brownish, sandy and light tones, reminiscent of the pattern of a real zebra. The next name is lionfish, which is used for all ten members of the genus Pterois. After all, they are all characterized by the presence of unusually large pectoral fins, open form resembling the wings of birds. U different types There are some differences in the structure of these fins, for example, the upper part of the rays does not have membranes.

Other appearance features

Zebra fish can have different body colors brown depending on the habitat. In coastal species, dark colors predominate, sometimes (in estuaries) almost black. The body is covered with cycloid scales. On the head: there may be growths in the mouth area, under the lower jaw and above the eyes different lengths. The growths above the eyes are especially long.

The maximum measured length is 38 centimeters. The highest age according to published data is 10 years.

The photo of the lionfish clearly shows that all the fins are very large:

• The first rays of the dorsal are spiny (there are thirteen of them), the remaining 9-12 do not have spines, they are soft.
• The anal fin has three spiny rays, the others are soft (there are from 6 to 8 of them).
• The caudal fin is bladeless with a rounded edge.

Poisonous Thorns

The poison is found in the spiny rays of the pectoral, anal and dorsal fins. A prick from one thorn is not life-threatening. Man receives small quantity poison. But the pain that the wounded person will begin to experience soon after the injection gradually increases and can lead to loss of consciousness. The injection site feels numb and swollen. After several hours, the severe pain subsides, but the affected area will still hurt for some time.

Zebra fish are dangerous due to their habit of hiding in the most unexpected places near rocks and reefs. If you accidentally step on it, you can get injections from several thorns at the same time and very deep. If the victim is not provided with timely assistance, the outcome may be fatal.

There is information that if a person is repeatedly injured by lionfish thorns, a person gradually develops immunity to the poison of this fish. With subsequent injections, the victim will experience less and less pain and other unpleasant sensations.

Effect of poison

Zebra fish venom causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles, seizures and cardiac dysfunction. And if a diver receives injections while underwater or far from shore, he may not be able to reach the shore on his own and may drown.

Interesting information: lionfish venom is so strong that its toxic properties persist even in dead fish. It is recommended not to touch this fish with your hands, either alive or dead.

The lionfish is not the first to attack

The lion fish is very peaceful, not capable of developing great speed. And she doesn't attack first. Never. If someone tries to disturb her peace or accidentally disturbs her, then he receives punishment in the form of injections with poisonous thorns. Most marine inhabitants avoid this fish, because its bright color is a warning of danger.

A person suffers from an encounter with lionfish only through his own fault and carelessness. Often fish hide between rocks and corals during the day. Bathers should exercise great care and caution to avoid accidentally touching resting fish. And even more so, you shouldn’t try to pet her. It’s better to admire from afar and move on.

If a lion fish sees that someone dangerous is approaching it, it immediately exposes its spines, primarily its dorsal fin, to meet the unexpected guest.

Food and hunting methods

Being ruthless predators, lionfish can easily swallow other fish that are more than half their own length. The objects of their hunt are smaller fish and crustaceans (shrimp or crabs). To obtain food they use two tactics:

• With its pectoral fins widely spaced, the zebra fish drives its prey into a narrow space (a crevice in a rock or between corals) and there it instantly swallows it.
• Frozen in a motionless position and spreading all its fins, the ends of the rays of which are decorated with small ribbons swaying in the water, it becomes like one of the bushes of multi-colored algae. Curious small fish swim close to her and instantly end up in the hunter’s mouth.

See how quickly the lionfish react in the aquarium when live food appears.