The word is that the beautiful but uninvited lionfish have invaded our natural Caribbean waters in Belize. How did this invasion start? It seems that they were released or escaped from aquariums and have spread exponentially from there. Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific and are in balance with the ecosystems in that area. In the Caribbean they are voracious predators of marine life but are not on the food chain for any of our Caribbean fish. Lionfish can easily be identified by their red-and white zebra stripes, with feathery pectoral fins.
Facts:
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Lionfish are members of the scorpionfish/Scorpaenidae family and subfamily Pteroinae.
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Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific (central and western Pacific oceans) and the Red Sea.
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Lionfish are also called turkey fish, dragon fish and scorpion fish.
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The largest lionfish is known to be about 15 inches. However, the average size of a lionfish is 1 foot in length.
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There is no danger in eating the lionfish meat once the spines have been removed
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