An official website of the United States government.

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar.

This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that’s been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.

National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Aquatic Invasives / Fish and Other Aquatic Vertebrates / Lionfish

Lionfish

View all resources
Lionfish
Lionfish, adult about 40 miles off the North Carolina coast in 140 feet of water (Summer 2001) - Photo by Paula Whitfield; NOAA, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research
Scientific Name: 
Pterois volitans (Linnaeus) (ITIS)
Common Name: 
Lionfish, lion fish, zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, red lionfish, butterfly cod, ornate butterfly-cod, peacock lionfish, red firefish, scorpion volitans
Native To: 
Western Pacific Ocean (NAS Database)
Date of U.S. Introduction: 
1980s (Morris and Whitfield 2009)
Means of Introduction: 
Aquarium trade (Morris and Whitfield 2009)
Impact: 
Preys on native species; has venomous spines (Morris and Whitfield 2009)

Spotlights

The IMA’s Lionfish SeaiTT Mobile App: Marine Conservation in the Palm of Your Hand (Nov 18, 2020)

Institute of Marine Affairs (Trinidad and Tobago).

Citizens with an avid interest in environmental matters will be able to 'sea' their environmental reports using mobile technology. The first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago, the Institute of Marine Affairs' new Integrated Environmental Incident Software Platform and mobile application, called the Lionfish SeaiTT, allows users to report environmental incidents with the touch of a button. The development of this mobile application was part of a 2014 Green Fund project entitled 'Control and Management of the Invasive Lionfish in Trinidad and Tobago' which aimed to raise awareness on the arrival of the marine invasive species, the lionfish, Pterios volitans, to the territorial waters around Trinidad and Tobago, and the imminent threat the species pose to domestic marine ecosystems.

Lionfish News
DOC. NOAA. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
Note: Provides search results for "lionfish"
Mark Your Calendars: 2021 Lionfish Festival May 15-16 in Destin, FL; Vendors and Divers Wanted

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is excited to announce the 7th annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival May 15 and 16 at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar and HarborWalk Village in Destin. Come out and celebrate the fight against invasive lionfish with the FWC and Destin–Fort Walton Beach. Activities will include fillet demonstrations; family-friendly games and activities; art, diving and conservation booths; and the world’s largest lionfish spearfishing tournament, the Emerald Coast Open. Learn more by visiting FWCReefRangers.com. The 2021 Lionfish Challenge removal incentive program will begin May 21 and continue through Labor Day, Sept. 6. More details on how to get rewarded for your harvest coming soon to FWCReefRangers.com.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Point Map - Lionfish
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides detailed collection information as well as animated map.

Images

Google Images - Lionfish
Google.

Videos

YouTube - Divers Fight the Invasive Lionfish

Google. YouTube; National Geographic.

YouTube - The Invasive, Venomous Lionfish Is Killing Atlantic Reefs

Google. YouTube; VICE News.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Lionfish.

Council or Task Force
Species of Concern Fact Sheet: Lionfish
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.
Partnership
Global Invasive Species Database - Pterois volitans (fish)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Lionfish Web Portal
Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute.
The Invasive Lionfish Web Portal, developed by the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute in partnership with NOAA, supports the management and control of lionfish in conservation areas along the Southeast coast of the U.S. and Caribbean.
Invasive Species Compendium - Pterois volitans
CAB International.
NEANS Panel Online Guide - Lionfish
Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.
Texas Invasives Database - Pterois volitans
TexasInvasives.org.
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Lionfish

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

Federal Government
Biology, Ecology, Control and Management of the Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish: An Updated Integrated Assessment (Dec 2009) (PDF | 2.7 MB)
DOC. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 99
About the Exotic Indo-Pacific Lionfish
DOI. NPS. Biscayne National Park.
Impact Assessments and Management Strategies for Invasive Lionfish in the Atlantic
DOC. NOAA. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory - Pterois volitans
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce.
National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS) - Pterois volitans
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Lionfish
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).
Ocean Facts - What is a Lionfish?

DOC. NOAA. National Ocean Service.

State and Local Government
Exotic and Invasive Species: Lionfish FAQs
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Lionfish - Pterois volitans
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Venomous Lionfish Invades Coastal Waters
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Saltwater Recreational Fishing License Program.
Academic
Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species: Venomous Lionfish
Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Animal Diversity Web - Pterois volitans
University of Michigan. Museum of Zoology.
Discover Fishes - Red Lionfish
University of Florida. Florida Museum of Natural History.
EDIS - Invasive Species of Florida’s Coastal Waters: The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) and Devil Firefish (P. miles)
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.
Electronic Data Information Source Publication #SGEF 208
Healthy Oceans and Coasts - Lionfish: An Invasive Species
University of Florida. Florida Sea Grant.
Introduced Species Summary Project - Lionfish
Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.
Professional
Invasive Species Program

Reef Environmental Education Foundation.

Citations