Scientific Name : Pterois Volitans

Common Name : Volitans Lion Fish, Turkey Fish, Common Lion Fish

Distribution : Indo-Pacific

Diet : Meaty foods such as Fish and Crustacean Flesh. Feed 3-4 times a week.

Size : 38cm(15 inches)

Compatibility : Will eat all fish or ornamental shrimp small enough to be ingested.

Suitability : Easy/Venomous

Minimum Tank Size : Adults will require a tank of 55 + gallons (208 liters)

Reef Safe : Reef Safe with Caution

The Volitans Lion Fish is a showy and long-lived species common in the aquarium trade. It will normally spend its time in open water making it a great display species for the show tank. As such it is best kept in a larger tank with plenty of depth to accommodate it’s hovering about the tank. More than one may be kept in the same tank provided the tank is large enough. This can provide for excellent viewing as they will sometimes hunt in “packs” as is sometimes observed in the wild when live food is offered. They can however show aggression with conspecifics. Although it is considered Reef Safe, this should be viewed with caution, as any smaller fish, crab or decorative shrimp will potentially be “on the menu” so to speak. DO NOT under estimate the size of this fishes mouth and the size of the prey it can engulf! Sexing is all but impossible outside the laboratory. Captive breeding has been exceptionally rare and is very unlikely at the Hobbyist level.

Some problems that often occur with Volitans is that being wild caught they are often not accustomed to eating frozen food preparations. Most will quiet readily learn to take chunks of fish, crab and shrimp when fed with a Feeding Stick and the food item is wiggled in front of them. This however will take some time in most cases. As such a hobbyist should be prepared to offer Live Prey as needed to keep the fish fed well enough to stay healthy. One of the most common Live Prey used for Volitans is “Feeder Goldfish”. This is a Huge No-No and is often responsible for a Volitans demise. Gold Fish lack the nutrition that a saltwater fish requires. In addition a Volitans digestive system is rarely able to properly break down the caprice of the Goldfishes head and often causes an “Impacted Digestive System”. Over feeding too is often a severe problem with Lion Fish in general. These fish possess a propensity to continue feeding until nothing more will fit down their mouths. The leads to an obese and unhealthy Lion Fish with a significantly reduced life span. Guppies while easier to digest aren’t nearly as healthy either, but they will cause less nutritional issues than Goldfish. Black Mollies and Ghost Shrimp are very common table fare and are easily converted over to full strength saltwater too. Again this is not optimal but it is far more economical than going to the LFS every 2-3 days and buying Damsels! Lionfish should only be fed one or two small prey items per a feeding, do not feed to satiation!

One final word of caution is in order here. ALL Lionfish species are venomous!!! Use extreme caution when doing tank maintenance and always be aware of your fish’s presence. Temporary removal of the fish is the safest route. A Lion Fishes sting in a best case scenario is excruciatingly painful. For those who are sensitive or possibly allergic to bee stings, getting stung by your Lion Fish could be life threatening.

For those wishing to keep a Volitans in your tank it’s a great choice and a great fish with lots of character and fairly easy to care for. Its is attractively colored with extensive finnage and will certainly make for a centerpiece in just about any aquarium. Good Luck and Happy Reefing!