Pterois volitans or miles, also known as Lionfish, are a highly venomous species of fish. They are invasive to the Atlantic, having no natural predators there. They damage native reefs, so “derbies” go out and target them to lower the population.
Their natural habitat is the Indo-Pacific Ocean, which stretches from the Red Sea to Indonesia, Japan, and Australia. They are part of their native reefs in their natural habitat. They also get checked by species of shark, moray eels, groupers, and many other types of fish.
Lionfish are solitary, shy, and primarily nocturnal. They feed on invertebrates and small fish during the night.
They can live up to 10 to 15 years, and female lionfish can produce up to 15,000 every few days. Commonly, they are found from 1 to 1,000 feet in the ocean.
