Marine Animal Encyclopedia
Lionfish Pterois volitans
Although the lionfish can inflict a painful sting, it is not dangerous to humans. Its flamboyant coloration of red stripes serves as a warning both to divers and to would-be predators. Also known as the turkeyfish, the lionfish hunts at night using its winglike pectoral fins to trap its prey of fish, shrimp, and crabs against the reef.