Fish ID - Lion Fish??

[DennisW]

The Lionfish that have invaded the Atlantic coast are now found from South Florida to New England. I think there should be a $5 bounty on them. They would dissappear fast if that was the case. At this point, no one knows if they have damaged the environment, but I can almost guarantee that they are displacing some species.

 

[adjuster-jd]

I'm thinking mine were "Dwarf Scorpionfish" Sebastapistes fowleri
based on some pictures on this site: http://www.marinelifephotography.com/fishes/scorpionfishes/scorpionfishes.htm

 

[justleesa]

I'm thinking mine were "Dwarf Scorpionfish" Sebastapistes fowleri
based on some pictures on this site: http://www.marinelifephotography.com/fishes/scorpionfishes/scorpionfishes.htm

hmmm...reading their discription

Reddish brown with fine white dots

Isn't yours the other way around? Light colored with fine dark dots?

 

[adjuster-jd]

Yeah, I guess mine do have fine dark dots... Reddish brown with fine black dots... Doesnt seem to fit the exact description and the one on that site is kinda buried in the coral... Doesnt seem to look like a speckled scorpionfish either though. Too many choices...

Thanks for the correction on the leaf scorpion - I'll fix that one one when I get home to edit the page.

 

[justleesa]

We'll figure out where this little guy belongs

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Here are a few photos I didn't post of the fish in the coral head with the Undulated Moray beneath:

If it's the same coral head, these critters were occupying the interior. There must have been 10 or more in there...

One thing I notice is different is the horns.... I'll look for more photos and see what I can find! (on the net).

I hope this helps!

Sean

 

[adjuster-jd]

I didnt think you saw those fish. I saw you take pics of the eel and then I pretty much ignored the eel because I saw these guys. Guess you got them in your pics anyway.... That really was a great dive - so many little different patches of life... I tried to take my daughter over to the patch reefs but couldnt find where we submerged. I thought we went down by the buoy/mooring, but that wasnt it.. Oh well, maybe on my next visit....

 

[DandyDon]

The lionfish being reported from Florida on up the Gulf Stream seem to be all Pterois volitans, like the one shown by Andy above. They're lovely little aquarium fish, afriad of nothing that I've seen, will bow to turn their dorsal spines if irritated. They eat live fish but also can be trained to accept pellets released from hands.

The problem is that they grow quickly, very hardy, and then what does the hobbyist do with an oversized fish? All too many set them free.

I'm sure the ones there are eating their weight in small fishes frequently and will become a major problem since there doesn't seem to be any action to control them.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Hey Ken,

It was a fun dive! I love the patch reef, it's a perfect macro dive! I think we swam about straight out and a little south during the dive. We could see the different patches so it was easy to navigate around. Since you're a regular here on Maui, I'm sure you'll find it next time! Great pics BTW! It was a pleasure diving with you!

Sean

 

[rgbmatt]

The fish with "horns" is Sebastapistes galactacma. As with most small cryptic fish, it doesn't really have a common name, but Dr. Randall calls it the "milky scorpionfish" if you need a label for your pictures.

The rest of the fish in the coral head were probably a mix of that species and Sebastapistes fowleri. Most cauliflower and antler coral heads contain lots of them.