Common Name: Spotfin Lionfish

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: from East Africa to the Marquesan and Mangareva Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Kermadec and Austral Islands. In Australia recorded from Shark Bay in Western Australia across the tropical north, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to northern New South Wales and including Middleton Reef.

Ecological Notes: Frequents lagoon and seaward reefs where it is found in gutters, under overhangs and in caves. Depth 2 – 86 m.

Additional Notes: Long white extended pectoral fin rays, with large dark spots in between, near the base of the pectoral fin. Best distinguished from the Common Lionfish, P. volitans, by lacking flag-like membranes on extended pectoral fin rays. Also has long tentacle with dark bands over each eye. Feeds on shrimps and crabs. Grows to 20 cms. 

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.75.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=pterois+antennata. Accessed 05/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Pterois-antennata.html. Accessed 05/07/18.