Pterois radiata

Rays fire fish (Pterois radiata)

The beam lionfish (Pterois radiata ) lives in the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and the coast of South Africa to the Ryukyu Islands, the Society Islands and New Caledonia in lagoons and on outer reefs at depths up to 30 meters. In the Red Sea, he is often in the rest of its range rather rare.

Features

Rays lionfish are up to 24 centimeters long, but usually remain at a length of 20 centimeters. Their color is reddish to brownish in 5-6 broad transverse bands, which are separated by bright lines. On the tail fins stick a horizontal, reddish region is surrounded by fine white lines. The rays lionfish Pterois are the only species that exhibit this pattern and have no color markings on the pure white spines. The pectoral fins are barely connected with fins membrane and are largely free.

Fins formula: Dorsal XII- XIII, 10-12, Anal III, 5-6.

Like almost all scorpion fish are rays poisonous lionfish. The poison is in the 13 hard rays of the first dorsal fin, in the three hard rays of the anal fin and the two hard jets of the pelvic fins.

Way of life

The fish prefer rocky areas in shallow reefs and lagoons, rare in outer reefs and corals seem to avoid stocks. During the day, keep the night-active animals under projections and in columns. They feed on crabs and other crustaceans. Rays lionfish sometimes hunt together with the antenna lionfish (Pterois antennata ). Male fish are territorial and market potential competitors.