Indian Lionfish
Pterois miles
Zebra Lionfish
Dendrochirus zebra
About
This scorpionfish looks like it is wearing a costume: bold zebra stripes and two oversized, fan-like fins that it spreads wide across the sand.
Also known as: butterfly scorpionfish, fan dancer, many-spotted butterfly-cod, zebra butterfly-cod, zebra turkeyfish, zebra firefish
- Depth
- 3–60 m
How to tell it apart
It can be confused with other lionfish and scorpionfish. The pectoral fins settle it: this species holds them fully webbed into solid fans and flares them wide against the sand, rather than folded or held loosely like most relatives.
Appearance
The body is covered in vertical stripes of orange, white, and black, with a dark band running through the eye. Its pectoral fins are enlarged, banded, and shaped like fans, flaring out to either side when the fish rests on the seabed. Tall, quill-like spines run along the front of the back, and a slender tentacle sits above each eye. The rear dorsal fin, anal fin, and rounded tail are all banded in black and white.
Habitat
It lives on coral, rubble, or rock bottoms on reef flats, outer reefs, and in sheltered lagoons, usually between 3 and 60 m but occasionally as deep as 80 m. It is bottom-dwelling and often tucks into caves, sometimes in small groups.
Behaviour
It is slow-moving and generally peaceful but carries venomous spines along its back for defence. It tends to rest hidden from light, under rocks or coral. Rather than hunting alone, it sometimes hunts in small groups of two or three, working together to herd prey into a confined space, taking turns to strike and flaring their fins to block an escape route.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
