Details
Pterois volitans
A reef predator famous for its fan-like pectoral fins and the long, venomous spines that fan out like a mane. Its bold red-brown and white banding doubles as a warning, keeping would-be attackers at bay.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Native to the Indo-Pacific, from the eastern Indian Ocean across the western Pacific, it haunts rocky reefs, coral reefs and shallow coastal waters, sheltering in crevices and overhangs by day.
It measures roughly 25–45 cm and weighs 500–1,200 g. Vertical bands of red, maroon and white cover the body, while elongated dorsal spines and broad pectoral fins spread like plumes; the dorsal, anal and pelvic spines carry venom that inflicts intense pain.
Largely solitary, it tucks into rocky recesses and reef cracks during the day. Around nightfall during the breeding season, fish gather near the surface, where a single male courts several females.
A carnivore, it preys on crustaceans and small fishes. Using its outspread fins, it slowly corners prey, then engulfs it in a single explosive gulp the instant it strays within striking range.
Females release egg masses bound in gelatinous mucus, laying several thousand and up to around 30,000 eggs in a single spawning. Larvae hatch about 36 hours after fertilization and drift for roughly a month before settling; the parents give no further care.
Popular in the aquarium trade, it became a notorious invader of the Atlantic and Caribbean after the 1980s, where few natural predators let it decimate native reef fish. It is thought to live about 10 years.
