Please Vote..............Please Comment.....
I'd like to make this thread educational. Please submit interesting facts and factoids about Lionfish. (Please only submit one (1) fact or factoid per day per member.)
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LionFish Facts & Factoids:
1. Lionfish become sexually mature in one year and can produce over 2 million eggs per year and they reproduce about every 4 days.
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2. According to some reports, it can eat as many as 20 smaller fish/shrimp/lobster in a few minutes by using its venomous spines to paralyze its prey and then vacuum/swallow them whole in their large mouth.
3. In studies on small coral reefs in the Bahamas, Hixon and his graduate student Mark Albins determined that a single lionfish per reef reduced young juvenile fish populations by 79 percent in only a five-week period. Many species were affected, including cardinalfish, parrotfish, damselfish and others. One large lionfish was observed consuming 20 small fish in a 30-minute period. Lionfish are carnivores that can eat other fish up to two-thirds their own length.
4. The largest species of lionfish can grow up to 0.4 meters, or 15 inches, in length, although on an average their length is about 0.3 meters, or 1 foot. An adult lionfish can weigh up to 1.2 kg, or 2.6 lbs. And the lifespan of the lionfish in the wild can be around 15 years, on an average
5. There have been at least four lionfish toxins identified: a protein-based toxin (the primary toxin); acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter--slows heart rate); a neuromuscular toxin; and a non-protein toxin. Because the primary toxin is protein-based, application of hot water to the stung area will cause the protein to break down.
6. There are no known parasites, which leaves more energy and time for growth and reproduction. In fact, if a lionfish is infected by a parasite for some reason, they have the ability to shed their own skin to remove the parasite!