Red Lionfish Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Bold, zebra-like pattern of maroon-to-red and white or cream vertical stripes over the whole body
• Extremely long, separated dorsal fin spines, usually 13, each venomous and housed in its own thin membrane
• Large, fan-shaped pectoral fins with distinct rays that spread like feathers, often held open when hunting
• Fleshy tentacles above each eye and around the mouth
• Grows to about 30-38 cm (12-15 in); moves slowly, hovering nearly motionless in the water column

Common look-alikes

• Devil firefish: nearly identical; best separated by fin-ray counts, as red lionfish usually have 13 dorsal spines versus 10 in devil firefish
• Zebra lionfish: shorter, thicker body with less elaborate fin webbing and bolder, wider stripes
• Scorpionfish: lack the elongated, separated spines and large fan-like pectoral fins that make lionfish so distinctive

Where you'll see one

Native to Indo-Pacific coral reefs, red lionfish hover near ledges, wrecks, and reef crevices by day; the species is also a well-established invasive predator throughout the western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.