Lionfish
Pterois volitans
A striped ambush hunter armed with venomous spines.
Lionfish drift over reefs behind a spectacular fan of striped fins. They corner small prey with those fins, then gulp it into a rapidly opening mouth.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Lionfish home
See which ready-to-play decks feature this SeaPal. Try one in the simulator before you buy, or explore each full deck list.
- 1 copy
Ready-to-play deck
Disruption Deck
Includes 1 card featuring Lionfish.
- 4 copies
Ready-to-play deck
Stinging Fortress Deck
Includes 4 cards featuring Lionfish.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- Native Indo-Pacific reefs; also invasive on western Atlantic and Caribbean reefs.
- Favorite foods
- Small fishes, shrimp, and crabs swallowed whole.
- Size check
- Up to about 18 in (46 cm) — longer than a laptop
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
The venom is delivered by spines, not by biting.
- 2
A lionfish can spread its pectoral fins like a hunting net.
- 3
Its mouth creates suction that pulls prey inward.
- 4
Atlantic lionfish descended from aquarium releases outside their native range.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
Venomous fin spines discourage predators while wide fins help trap prey.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Keep your distance from red-brown stripes and a crown of long spines.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.