Common Name: Zebra Lionfish

Distribution: Relatively common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific: East Africa and Red Sea to Samoa, north to southern Japan, south to Australia and Lord Howe Island. In Australia recorded from Shark Bay in Western Australia, north to Torres Strait, Queensland south to southern New South Wales, and including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.

Ecological Notes: Frequents coral, rubble and rock bottoms of reef flats, coastal and outer reef habitats in sheltered lagoons and in caves. Depth to at least 80 m but usually shallower.

Additional Notes: A pair of large white spots, one above the other on the tail base, and short pectoral fin rays that do not protrude far past the membrane between them distinguish this species. Similar Common Lionfish, Pterois volitans, lacks white spots on tail base and has long pectoral fin rays. As with other Lionfish species, poisonous spines can inflict painful wound. Grows to 25 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.73.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=dendrochirus+zebra. Accessed 24/05/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Dendrochirus-zebra.html. Accessed 24/05/18.