Pterois miles
© Leonidas Stavrou
Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828)
Body and fins banded with alternating wide dark brown/black, white and red bands. Anal and caudal fins ornamented with dark spots. Small individuals, with a lighter coloration. Dorsal fin appears feathery, whereas pectoral fins wing-like.
Corsini-Foka, M., Kondylatos, G. (2015). First occurrence of the invasive lionfish Pterois miles in Greece and the Aegean Sea. Medit. Mar. Sci. 16/3: 692-702.
2009
est
Devil firefish, Lionfish
It lives in a wide variety of shallow habitats (sandy-muddy, rocky, and Posidonia oceanica meadows), but mainly rocky and at depths up to 150 m.
It is a voracious predator that can eat practically every organism that fits in its mouth, and feeds mainly on fish and crustaceans.
According to spear-gun fishers, it occupies crevices previously sheltering groupers. Moreover, being a voracious predator is expected to strongly impact the native biota. Yet, the magnitude of its impacts is still unknown.
Venomous, that in cases can cause allergic reactions and may be dangerous to humans. Predation upon fish and other commercial species could potentially cause impacts on fisheries. Appealing for snorkelers/divers.
Yes
Yes (painful sting)
Records of “Pterois miles“
Records where the species has been recorded in the Hellenic Seas.
