Zebra Lion Fish 2008

With colorful stripes like a lion, the lionfish warns predators to avoid the prickly poisonous spines inside its fins.
Brightly-colored and irregularly-patterned skin is a sign of warning coloration in animals. While swimming, the zebra lionfish will spread out its fins, but will fold them up and hold them close to the body when it’s resting or lying in wait to ambush prey.

Their striped coloration also serves to confuse predators. The lines break up the body shape against the bright, busy reef backdrop.

Zebra lionfish can be up to a foot (30 cm) long.

Habitat
This lionfish lives on shallow coastal coral reefs, patch reefs and lagoons to depths of 180 feet (60 m). They are often found in sandy, rubbly areas near large coral heads and sponges that are protected from currents and wave action. Zebra lionfish may actually be found resting inside of large reef sponges.

Range
Zebra lionfish live in the warm parts of the Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea.