45centimeters
(18inches) long
Onelionfishcaneat5,000fishina year.
Theycanliveupto15 years.
Lionfishfemalescanlaymorethantwomillioneggsper year.
Lionfishspineshavevenom,akindof poison.
presentinvasion zone
expectedinvasion zone
North
America
South
America
Pacific
Ocean
Atlantic
Ocean
LionfishhaveinvadedtheEastCoast,theCaribbean,andtheGulfof Mexico.
Theymayspreadsouthtoward Brazil.
Lionfishcandamagecoral reefs.
beforelionfish invasion
afterlionfish invasion
Lionfishhuntincoral reefs.
Insomeareas,lionfishhaveeatennineoutof10 local fish.
Lionfishcaneasilyeatmorethan2/3oftheirownbodyweightatone time.
