Parapterois heterura

Bluefin lionfish ( Parapterois heterura )

The blue fin fire fish ( Parapterois heterura ) is a marine fish of the family, the scorpion fish ( Scorpaenidae ). It occurs in two separate populations. An Indian in the southwestern Ocean off the coast of South Africa (KwaZulu -Natal ), the other in the Western Pacific in Japan.

Features

The blue fin fire fish reaches a maximum length of 23 cm. Like all lionfish he has a red-brown - whitish stripe pattern and fan-shaped, wide sweeping pectoral fins, which led blue strip to his German name. The 13 is not connected by membrane fins spines of the first " dorsal fin " and the three spines of the anal fin are provided with poison glands. The second dorsal fin has nine soft rays, the anal fin is about seven to eight. The spines of the first " dorsal fin " and the outer rays of the caudal fin are provided with filaments.

Way of life

The blue fin fire fish normally lives in sheltered bays over sandy or muddy sea beds, but comes down to depths of 300 meters in front. During the day, the night-active animals often buried in the ground. It drives like all other lionfish prey with the help of the large pectoral fins into a corner.

Swell

• Blue fin fire fish on Fishbase.org (English)

• Scorpion fish