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Ack, it's been a bit, but here I am with another fish!

Parapterois heterura, Parapterois heterurus -- Blackfoot Lionfish, Blackfin Lionfish, Bluefin Lionfish, Gurnard Lionfish



If any of you have articles from Aquarium Fish Magazine from over two years ago, you would have seen this fish emblazoned upon one of the issues. Truly, a stunning member of the lionfish clan. By the way, of course, that image is one taken in nature, so some of the red colors of the fish are not showing up quite as well in the image (a number of us probably know that at depth the red wavelengths get absorbed by the water first). However, of course, the key feature of these fish that differentiate them from other lionfish is obvious: blue spots! You might have noticed t hat I said I agreed with Herbert Axelrod about the Radiata being the most attractive lionfish; well, to tell the truth, a good and healthy P. heterura is more than a match in the looks department! Luckily, like the Radiata, this fish is not a larger species and only attainsa length of 8-10".

In the wild, this lionfish is accustomed to more sedentary behavior than your popular and famous Volitans Lionfish. Sometimes this fish will even partially bury itself. When a predator comes, the fish will quickly flash the undersides of its pectoral fins to startle the predator and swim away. Many other Scorpaenids utilize a similar tactic to make their getaways.

Because this fish is a rare species, it also, unfortunately, has limited information. Some people believe this fish to be more of a coldwater species, originating from Japan. However, this fish has a range that creeps as far south as South Africa, so temperature may not be that much of a factor. As of now this is actually still up to debate...

Other than appearance, though, this fish doesn't seem (to me, at least) to be all that different from its lionfish relatives. I was able to feed it rather easily by dropping pieces of shrimp in front of it; as a carnivore, this fish doesn't need to be fed daily. Some lionfish keepers only feed their lions twice a week! However, when young, as lionfish often are when brought in to the store, they should be fed more often. One must remember to avoid feeding freshwater fish to saltwater fish as the extensive feeding of freshwater fish can cause quite a number of complications.

Oh, and of course, beware of those spines. They're venemous, after all.

The current talk about this fish is that it doesn't actually quite last very long in captivity, which is quite unfortunate for such a beautiful fish. It's not yet sure why; it may be something tied to temperature, but it could be something else. As I have found, it's not something tied to getting them to feed like with Ribbon Eels and Moorish Idols, which is quite fortunate.

Now how much do you think you'd shell out for these fish? I have seen this fish priced at $80. However, if for some reason a store doesn't recognize that this isn't your average lionfish (even though the blue spots make it more than obvious), you may be able to get away with paying only $30...

Links:

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=7917&genusname=Parapterois&speciesname=heterura

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/index.htm -- If you want to keep any sort of Lionfish, read this article. There's even a picture of this species, although unfortunately it doesn't show the amazing blue spots.

Past RFOTW:
1. Polynemus paradiseus -- Paradise threadfin
2. Anableps anableps -- Four-Eyed Fish
3. Hypancistrus zebra -- Zebra Plec
4. Potamotrygon sp. -- Pearl Ray
5. Merodontotus Tigrinus -- Tigrinus Catfish, Zebra Shovelnose
6. Rhinopias aphanes -- Merlet's Scorpionfish, Lacy Scorpionfish
7. Tetraodon pustulatus
8. Astronotus orbicularis -- Bumblebee Oscar
9. Parambassis pulcinella -- Rhino Glassfish, Humphead Glassfish
10. Lepisosteus platyrhincus -- Golden Florida Gar
11. Polyodon spathula -- Missippi Paddlefish
12. Pterois radiata -- Radiata Lionfish, Clearfin Turkeyfish
13. Panaque suttonorum, Panaque suttoni -- Blue Eyed Plec
14. Potamotrygon sp. -- P14, Itaituba Ray
15. Brachyplatysoma juruense -- Juruense Catfish, False Tigrinus, Alianza Cat
16. Neoceratodus forsteri -- Australian Lungfish, Queensland Lungfish
17. Paracheirodon simulans -- False Neon Tetra, Green Neon Tetra
18. Osphronemus laticlavius -- Red Tailed Giant Gourami
19. Osphronemus exodon -- Elephant Ear Gourami
20. Synodontis granulosus
21. Siganus guttatus -- Orange Spotted Rabbitfish, Gold Spot Rabbitfish
April Fools -- Corydoras revelatus
22. Sorubimicthys planiceps -- Firewood Catfish

Last edited by Shinigami at 05-May-2005 16:50[/font]

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I want one. That is all.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002