My native home is the coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. I'm one of the "top dogs" there, so to speak, one of the top predators in the reef food chain, along with some pesky sharks. However, if you check out saltwater aquaria in living rooms around the world, you just might find me there, too. I'm quite popular! Must be my strikingly good looks...

Well, I might have escaped from a Florida beachside aquarium during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but you know, sometimes people who keep fish for a hobby decide they don't want us anymore and "release" us into the ocean, even if it's NOT the one we came from originally. I can't help it if we like to eat all the other fish in the tank! At least we aren't being flushed down the toilet, but they really should call their local pet store to see if anyone else would take us. Though, hanging around the shipwrecks and reefs along the South Atlantic coast of Florida and North Carolina has been fun. Always good to meet new prey, I say! Sometimes the "juvies" (young lionfish) catch a ride north on the warm Gulf Stream current for a late summer visit to southern New England, but once winter sets in, Brr!

No, silly! My bright stripes and mottled coloration warn everyone who sees me that I may be pretty but I'm also venomous (which means I pack a poisonous punch), so beware! Keep your distance and no one gets hurt. Although, my sting is not going to kill you, but talk about PAINFUL! You'll know it if I accidentally sting you, it'll hurt A LOT for at least a few hours.