The beautiful, graceful swimmer-the lionfish-is also called the turkey fish, tragon fish, or even the scorpionfish. These are very attractive looking sea creatures, but are aggressive predators too. They have stinging spines, and their fins are poisonous. They are known to corner their prey and stun them with their spines, before swallowing them whole. Lionfish Facts The lionfish is usually a slow swimmer, but can carry out quick movements when necessary. These movements are helpful in catching prey. It takes a fanned out pose when it sees a predator approaching. So, if anyone or anything dares to come close, it will inject venom from the long spine. The lionfish has really long, separated fins, having a stripped pattern on a white background. It has dorsal fin spines, and enlarged pectoral fins, with a zebra-like stripes pattern. They usually swims around in pairs. Lionfish Habitat Their habitat consists of warm waters. They are usually found in the Indo-Pacific region, and different species are seen around the world. The habitat consists of rocky regions under the water with a lot of plants and fish. Thus, they are often found near coral reefs. They like to hide in holes, and under rocks and caverns. Let us take a look at the different habitats of the lionfish, according to the species. Red Lionfish This species has red and maroon stripes over its white body, and can grow up to about 17 inches in size. Its habitat consists of the coral reef regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans. They are also found off the east coast of Florida in the United States. Black Lionfish Theses are black and white striped fish, with solid black spikes and fins. They are generally found in warm tropical waters. Freshwater Lionfish This species has a natural beauty that makes it one of the most popular aquarium fish. They are actually toadfish that are completely harmless and non-poisonous. They have spines that may cause only a slight pain due to their sharpness. Their habitat consists of waters around Indo-West Pacific, northwestern Australia, Thailand, the Arafura sea, the Mekong delta. Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Dwarf Lionfish The dwarf lionfish looks like the red and black ones, but is a smaller version of the two. It is just about 15 centimeters long, and can have different colors like red or brown. It has spotted bands on its back fins. Its habitat includes the Indo-Pacific waters, the Australian coastal reefs, and the estuaries of southwestern Australia, and the north, south, to southern New South Wales. The range of the location in which a dwarf lionfish lives is from Samoa and Tonga to eastern Africa and the Red sea. Basically, the Indo-Pacific is where this fish will be found. At the northern tip of their habitat, you will find the waters of southern Japan, while the southern tip of their habitat lies somewhere between Australia and New Guinea. They love to be among the rocks and corals wherever they are. That is where they feel the most comfortable. This could be in reefs or other shallow areas, or just about anywhere with weed-covered rocks. Lionfish Care Even though lionfish are thought to be difficult to care for, many people love to have them in their aquariums. These fish are venomous and can cause many health hazards. Hence, a certain level of understanding about these fish and their behavior and abilities is necessary before one considers petting them. Lionfish are a hardy lot, that are disease-resistant and adaptable to various water conditions. They can grow big in size, so you need to use a large aquarium to give them enough room to swim around. You can have more than one of these fish in a tank, but make sure each one gets enough individual space. They are slow and lazy, and just lie around during day time. You can also keep these fish in a reef aquarium. Make sure that you carry out a thorough research regarding compatible species, before adding more fish to the tank. The lionfish is active only during feed-time, and will typically just hang around the bottom during the day. Therefore, you need to choose a soft substrate so that it does not injure itself. The diet of this fish consists of small crustaceans and fish. You can even feed them shrimp and worms during the dawn and dusk hours. Thus, the habitat of lionfish consist of the reefs and rocky crevices of the Indo-Pacific regions. They are known to swim their way around the world, and make for an interesting aquarium fish, but should be brought home only after thorough research and preparation.