Lionfish aficionados know that the Red Lionfish, the lionfish species that invaded the Gulf of Mexico, is not the only lionfish in the ocean. In fact, there are no less than TWELVE different species of lionfish, two of which have become invasive species (Pterois volitans in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, Pterois miles in the Mediterannean Sea). We decided to break down the different species of lionfish so that next time you see a funny looking lionfish, you can impress your friends by knowing the specifics of this lionfish sub-species.
There are of course a few broad similarities: most subspecies of lionfish are generally endemic to the Indo-Pacific and all are venomous. It is still not known how similar or how different all their venoms are (maybe that’s something our co-founders could work on…), but most likely they are highly similar, since a common ancestor evolved venom, and not each fish individually. If you test out StingMaster on any sting other than the Red Lionfish, be sure to send us an email at orders@pterotech.ca, we’d love to hear about your experience!
Red lionfish (Pterois volitans)
Endemic to: Indo-Pacific
Invasive?: yes, in the Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, East coast of North America and Northeast coast of South America)
Size: can grow up to 18.5 inches and more (can survive for up to 15 years in the wild)
Venomous?: Yes
Common lionfish, aka devil firefish (Pterois miles)
Endemic to: Western Indo-Pacific
Invasive?: yes, in the Mediterannean Sea
Size: can grow up to 14 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Spot-fin lionfish (Pterois antennata)
Endemic to: Indian and Western Pacific
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 8 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Zebra lionfish (Dendrochirus zebra)
Endemic to: Western Indo-Pacific and Red Sea
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 10 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus)
Endemic to: Western Indo-Pacific and Red Sea
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 6 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Clear-fin lionfish (Pterois radiata)
Endemic to: Western Indo-Pacific and Red Sea
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 8 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Plaintail turkey fish, aka Russell’s lionfish (Pterois russelii)
Endemic to: Indo-Pacific, from the eastern coast of Afrida to the Persian Gulf
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 12 inches
Venomous?: Yes, they can have as many as 26 venomous spines!
Hawaiian turkeyfish (Pterois sphex)
Endemic to: Central Pacific, mainly Hawaii
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 9 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Andover lionfish (Pterois andover)
Endemic to: Western Pacific, mainly Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, as far as Sabah, Malaysia and the Philippines
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 6 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Luna lionfish (Pterois lunulata)
Endemic to: Western Pacific
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 10 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Red Sea Lionfish (Pterois cincta)
Endemic to: Red Sea
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 8 inches
Venomous?: Yes
African lionfish, aka frill-fin turkeyfish (Pterois mombasae)
Endemic to: Tropical Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 7.8 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Pterois brevipectoralis
Endemic to: Western Indian Oceans, but very deep (70 – 80 metres)
Invasive?: No
Size: can grow up to 7.8 inches
Venomous?: Yes
Now that you’ve read about all the different species of lionfish, you can officially call yourself a StingMaster-officiated lionfish species expert! Next time you’re out with your friends and see a crazy looking lionfish, make sure you ID it correctly!
