Species Profile

Volitans Lionfish

Pterois volitans

Also known as: Common Lionfish, Red Lionfish

Lionfishsemi-aggressive

Adult size

15″

Minimum tank

120 gal

Temperature

72–82°F

8.1–8.4

Schooling

Solitary OK

Water level

mid

Grows from juvenile

Typically sold at ~4″ and reaches 15″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.

Diet

Live grass shrimp at first, transitioned to frozen silversides + krill + large mysis

Notes

The iconic lionfish — stunning fan-like fins, venomous spines, voracious appetite. Eats fish up to half its body length. FOWLR-only with tankmates larger than its mouth (6″+). NEVER release into the wild; invasive in Atlantic + Caribbean.

Build a tank →Photo credits

Photo: Fernando Losada Rodríguez / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-4.0