Lionfish Beautiful Fish

Lionfish facts : Lionfish are native to the Indo - Pacific region and the Red Sea .
Lionfish belong in the Scorpaenidae family . Commonly called scorpionfishes the family includes approximately 500 different species . The genus name " Pterois " is from the Ancient Greek word for " feathered " or " winged . " There are 10 species of lionfish in the genus .

average between 13 - 16 inches ( 33 - 40 cm ) in length . The red lionfish and devil firefish is almost always striped in white , dark red , brown and black with dark spots found in orange fin rays and caudal fin ( tail ) . It is not uncommon to find these fish turning almost entirely black .

Lionfish reach adult size in approximately 2 years . The largest record lionfish measured a little over 47.7cm or 19.5 inches and was speared near Islamorada , Florida in the United States . In lab studies , lionfish die when water temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius .

Lionfish have been visually sighted down to depths of 1000 feet or 305 meters .

Female lionfish are sexually mature and will release eggs when they reach 7 to 8 inches in length , or approximately one year old . A female lionfish can release between 10,000 and 30,000 unfertilized eggs every 4 days year around , approximately 2 MILLION eggs per year , in South Florida and warmer Caribbean waters but possibly only spawn 3 to 4 months a year in colder waters . She will typically release 2 egg sacs that are between 1 and 2 inches long every spawn . It has been reported that the egg sac contains a chemical deterrent that discourages other fish from eating the eggs .