An Invader in the Carribean Reef

Red Lionfish, CC

Do you swim or snorkel when you cruise?  If so, you should know about a beautiful, yet dangerous species that has invaded the waters off Florida, in The Bahamas, and the Caribbean Sea.  It's the Red Lionfish.

Actually, two of the nine species of lionfish are spreading through these waters, but the red lionfist - or  Pterois volitans -  seems to be reproducing the most prolifically.

PROBLEMS associated with this species include the fact that they are venomous to humans, and that they pose an imminent threat to indigenous marine populations.  

Browse some beautiful Pictures of Tropical Fish - including the lionfish - and pick up a few tidbits of information in this article I recently wrote about fish you can see while snorkeling in the Caribbean.