All fish / Scorpaenidae

Russell's lionfish

Pterois russelii

Also known as russell's lionfish, plaintail lionfish, plain tail lionfish, soldier lionfish, red lionfish, russelli lionfish, russels lionfish, spotless firefish, ปลาสิงโต, ハナミノカサゴ, ikan lepu ayam, 拉氏狮子鱼

A large lionfish with reddish brown and white vertical bands, long venomous fin spines and showy fan-like pectoral fins. It differs from the common volitans lionfish in having a plain, unspotted tail fin. Keepers like it for its striking look and calm, hovering behaviour in fish-only or predator tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

450 litres

Keep as

Single specimen; several only in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: frozen shrimp, krill, squid, mysis and fish flesh, weaned off live fish

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf and East Africa to India, Indonesia and northern Australia

Breeding

Pairs spawn at night, releasing floating egg masses held in mucus, and the larvae drift in the plankton for weeks. Captive breeding in home aquariums is very rarely achieved.

Good to know

Venomous spines cause very painful stings, so take care when working in the tank. It will eat any fish or shrimp small enough to swallow, and it is often confused with Pterois volitans and P. miles.