Diving Fun Fact
Lionfish (Pterois) are aposematic animals, meaning their color and characteristics are meant to warn and repel predators. Lionfish come in a variety of beautiful colors; they are recognizable by their bold stripes, and the large fans of toxic spines that protrude from their bodies.
Lionfish are skilled and ferocious hunters. Their bilateral swim bladders allow them to shift their center of gravity, positioning themselves with great precision during a hunt as they disorientate their prey by shooting streams of water at them from their mouths.
Known for their large appetites, lionfish have been known to be caught with as many as six small fish in their bellies. We photographed this lionfish while scuba diving in Nosy Be, Madagascar. Read more in our post, Whale Shark Sightings and Turquoise Waters: Scuba Diving Nosy Be, Madagascar.
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