Anti-predator adaptations of broadbarred firefish include aposematic coloration, motionless/still behavior during daylight hours, and venomous glandular tissue that produces painful toxins sheathing the dorsal, pelvic, and anal spines.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: aposematic
Broadbarred firefish show the typical morphology of members of the genus Pterois, with a laterally compressed, somewhat deep body and elaborate dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins. The first dorsal fin contains 12 to 13 spines, the second contains 11 to 12 soft rays, the anal fin is composed of 3 spines followed by 6 soft anal rays, and the pectoral fin contains 17 unbranched, soft rays. Teeth are numerous and very small, occurring on the upper and lower jaws in densely packed bilateral clusters and in a small patch on the anterior roof of the mouth. Coloration varies between individuals, but is typically reddish to tan with many dark vertical bars on the body, with the interradial membranes of the pectorial fins containing multiple scattered, dark-colored spots. Adults also have bluish black blotches near the bases of their pectoral fins. There is no difference in color pattern between sexes. Juveniles have structures called supraorbital tentacles located above their eyes (which may persist into adulthood) that show differences in shape and color between Pterois species. In broadbarred firefish, these tentacles are black, with brown bars.
Range length: 30 to 38.1 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry ; venomous
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Communication appears to occur mainly via visual cues. If a male encounters another male during foraging, the more aggressive male will turn a darker color and point its venomous, spiny dorsal fins at the other individual. The less dominant lionfish will usually fold down its pectoral fins and swim away.
Like other bony fish, lionfish possess sensory structures to perceive vibrations and pressure (the lateral line), chemicals (nares), and eyes that may distinguish polarized light.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile
Other Communication Modes: vibrations
Perception Channels: visual ; polarized light ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical
Broadbarred firefish are not currently listed as threatened or endangered. However, continued degradation of coral reefs is expected to reduce populations of many of the fish and crustaceans that they feed on. If they are unable to exploit alternate food sources, their populations may also decrease. Although broadbarred firefish are widely distributed, the status of their various populations should be monitored. Additional genetic research may reveal that this widely distributed species is in fact a species complex awaiting further scientific description.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
In Pterois species, early embryo formation is evident approximately twelve hours after fertilization. The head and eyes become moderately developed about 18 hours post-fertilization. Eventually, invading microbes deteriorate the mucus wall of the egg capsule, and 36 hours after fertilization, the larvae hatch. Broadbarred firefish larvae, like those of many reef fishes, are planktonic and invest most of their energy in growth early in life. Four days after egg fertilization, the larvae are already good swimmers and are able to feed on small ciliates. Larvae settle out of the water column after approximately 25 to 40 days, at a length of 10-12 mm.
Two of the 15 currently recognized Pterois species (Pterois miles and Pterois miles) have established themselves as significant invasive species. Although eradication of these exotic species is desired, the fact that members of this genus are able to reproduce monthly throughout the entire year means that in order to successfully remove the species, monthly control efforts must be undertaken to ensure population control. Research suggests that invasive lionfish are already having substantial negative impacts on Atlantic coral reefs, causing significant reductions in the recruitment of native fishes. Furthermore, these species are aggressive towards humans and should be treated with caution at all times. Worldwide, scorpionfishes (a taxonomic order that includes Pterois species) rank second only to stingrays in total number of human envenomations by fish species. Puncture wounds from Pterois species' spines can cause extreme pain, potentially lasting for days, accompanied by sweating and respiratory depression. Experimental evidence suggests that stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) antivenom has some detoxifying effect on lionfish venom.
Negative Impacts: injures humans (bites or stings, venomous )
Although broadbarred firefish are valued as food in many parts of its native range, its economic benefit to humans as a staple of the trade in aquarium fishes far exceeds its value as table fare. This species also plays a role in tourism, as recreational divers in areas where broadbarred firefish are found count this species among the many attractions of diving over a tropical coral reef.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; food ; ecotourism
Pterois species are important secondary and tertiary consumers in coral reef ecosystems.
Broadbarred firefish are important predators in many coral reef environments, feeding mostly on crustaceans, as well as other invertebrates, and small fishes, including juveniles of their own species. They are known to feed on juveniles of many commercially fished species, like Lutjanus campechanus (red snapper), Plectropomus laevis (coral trout), and Stenopus hispidus (banded coral shrimp). This species consumes an average of 8.2 times its body weight (up to 45 kg of prey) per year. As juveniles, they consume 5.5 to 13.5 g per day and 14.6 g per day as adults.
Broadbarred firefish are skilled hunters, using specialized bilateral swim bladder muscles to provide precise control of their position in the water column, allowing a fish to adjust its center of gravity to better attack its prey. When they stalk their prey, they raise their pectoral fins in a shielding fashion. This display, along with the body coloration of this species, decreases the visibility of the firefish to potential prey, blending its body outline into the irregular background patterns of coral branches, feather stars, and sea urchin spines. The firefish attacks with one swift gulping motion, sucking the prey into its mouth.
Animal Foods: fish; aquatic crustaceans; other marine invertebrates
Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore , Eats non-insect arthropods)
Broadbarred firefish (Bloch, 1787) are found in the Indo-West Pacific region. This species ranges from east Africa to the Marquesan and Mangaréva islands and from northern Japan to Queensland, Australia, and can also be found in the waters surrounding the Kermadec and Austral islands.
Biogeographic Regions: indian ocean (Native ); pacific ocean (Native )
Broadbarred firefish are inhabitants of near and offshore coral and rocky reefs to depths of 50 meters. This species displays an obvious preference for sheltering under ledges or in caves and crevices by day, coming out to hunt over the reef at night.
Range depth: 1 to 50 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; saltwater or marine
Aquatic Biomes: reef ; coastal
Information regarding the lifespan of broadbarred firefish in the wild and in captivity is currently unavailable.
Information regarding specifics of the mating system of broadbarred firefish is currently unavailable. Pterois species are generally solitary, but form spawning aggregations. When preparing to spawn, males become darker and more uniformly colored, as their stripes become less apparent. Females with ripening eggs become paler and their belly, pharyngeal region, and mouth become silvery white. As a result, the females are easier for the males to detect visually. Courtship behavior begins at dusk and is always initiated by the males. After a male selects a mate by visual indicators, he circles the female. After circling several times, the male then ascends to the water surface followed by the female. The two may descend and ascend several times before they spawn. On the final ascent, the male and female will swim around just beneath the surface of the water while the female releases her egg masses. Mating is promiscuous, with one male usually spawning with several females.
Breeding Pterois males are particularly aggressive, especially when a competitor invades the territory of a male courting his female. The aggressive male will approach the intruder and spread his pectoral fins, swimming back and forth in front of the intruder with his head pointed down, pointing the venomous dorsal spines forward. If this display does not deter the challenging male, the aggressive male shakes its head prior to charging the intruder in an attempt to bite the intruder's head. This may result in the intruder having parts of its mouth torn off, and the aggressor may become impaled on the spines of the intruder.
Mating System: polygynous ; polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Although information regarding specific reproductive behaviors in broadbarred firefish is not available, general reproductive behaviors have been found to be fairly similar between other Pterois species. Spawning appears to occur year-round. Fertilization is external, with the female releasing egg masses containing up to 15,000 individual eggs. These masses are comprised of two hollow mucus tubes, which float just below the surface. Within 15 minutes, the tubes absorb seawater and become oval balls 2-5 cm in diameter. As the female spawns, the male releases sperm, which penetrates the mucus balls and fertilizes the eggs within. Fertilized eggs usually hatch within 36 hours.
Breeding interval: Breeding may occur monthly.
Breeding season: Breeding can occur year round.
Range number of offspring: 2,000 to 15,000.
Average gestation period: 36 hours.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous
As broadcast spawners, broadbarred firefish provide no parental investment beyond the nutrients that females provide via the yolks of their eggs.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female)
Pterois antennata, the spotfin lionfish, banded lionfish, broadbarred lionfish, broadbarred firefish, raggedfinned firefish, raggedfinned scorpionfish or roughscaled lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the tropical Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Pterois antennata was first formally described in 1787 as Scorpaena antennata by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch with the type locality given as Ambon Island in Indonesia.[3] The specific name antennata means ”with antennae”, an allusion to the supraorbital tentacles.[4]
Pterois antennata has a laterally compressed rather deep body.[5] There are 13 spines and 11 or 12 soft rays in the dorsal fin and 3 spines and 6 soft rays in its anal fin. There is a long tentacle above each eye.[2] Coronal spines are present and there are many head spines.[6]There are 17 simple fin rays in the pectoral fin. The mouth has many teeth in both upper and lower jaws, these teeth are very small and are arranged in clusters to either side of the mouth with a small patch of the front of the roof of the mouth.[5] This species attains a maximum total length of 20 cm (7.9 in).[2] The overall colour is reddish-brown marked with numerous darker slender to wide vertical bars, these are thin and angled on the caudal peduncle. There is a scattering of dark spots on the anal, dorsal and caudal fins. The head is marked with 3 dark brown bars, one of which is a diagonal bar running through the eye which ends in a large spot on the lower operculum. The long tentacles over each eye are banded and in larger adults there are bluish-black blotches close the pectoral fin bases.[7]
Pterois antennata has a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution which runs from the Gulf of Aden south to South Africa east to French Polynesia, north as far as southern Japan and south to Australia[1] and the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand.[6] In Australian waters its range extends from Fremantle in Western Australia north and east around the tropical northern coasts to at least as far south as Sydney in New South Wales. It is also found at Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, the reefs of the Coral Sea, the region of sea around Lord Howe Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island.[7] It is found at depths of between 2 and 86 m (6 ft 7 in and 282 ft 2 in) in lagoon and seaward reefs.[2]
Pterois antennata is a nocturnal hunter which is most active just after nightfall and which spends the day hiding in crevices and caves facing inwards with its venomous spines pointing backwards. They prey mainly on crustaceans and small fishes, including juveniles of their own species, which are approached slowly using undulating fins. They are normally solitary and will protect a hanome range from other broadbarred lionfishes and other lionfish species. They do form aggregations as juveniles and for breeding. Pterois lionfishes spawn monthly and the females can lay up to 15,000 eggs in a mass covered in mucus which the males' sperm can penetrate to fertilise the eggs. The eggs are thought to hatch after 36 hours. Predators of this species include sharks and the cornet fish Fistularia commersonii.[5]
Pterois antennata is caught in some subsistence fisheries but its small size and venomous spines mean that it is of little interest to commercial fisheries.[1] It is common in the aquarium trade.[8]
Pterois antennata, the spotfin lionfish, banded lionfish, broadbarred lionfish, broadbarred firefish, raggedfinned firefish, raggedfinned scorpionfish or roughscaled lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the tropical Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
