Among the bizarre cliffs and intricately intertwined reefs of the Red Sea, intricately cut by clefts and grottoes, the numerous underwater living creatures found a wonderful abode. On the rocks and reefs, which took the form of giant pillars and mushrooms, communities coexist, which include a variety of animals, mollusks and fish of the Red Sea. Photos show amazingly beautiful landscapes of his underwater world.
The coastal strip of the Red Sea, furrowed by fabulously beautiful rocky reef reliefs, stretched for at least 2,000 kilometers. On its open spaces settled about 200 varieties of corals, in countless sponges, jellyfish, starfish.
The richness of flora and fauna provided the sea with the immutable status of a natural world aquarium. There are dolphins, lion fish, sea turtles, sharks and other animals in it. In the kingdom of coral reefs, echinoderms, mammals, arthropods, intestinal, bony and cartilaginous fish dominate .
Lion fish
The area of this colorful representative of the bright coral world captures not only the tropical waters of the Red Sea. Its population feels great among the reefs hidden by the Pacific waters. These colorful individuals are found in the Indian Ocean. Their abode is coastal stripes stretching along Japan, China and Australia. A lion fish is seen in the Caribbean, near Cuba, Haiti, the Cayman Islands and Florida.
origin of name
In addition to the name given to this fish, there are a couple of others. Her name is also Lionfish, Zebra. Fish, rich in names, received them for a reason. Each reflects its characteristic features. The fins of the animal, assembled from flexible flexible ribbons in the form of bright fans, blooming, form a mane, similar to a lion's. This feature became the reason for the name "lion fish".
The second name of the fish is due to the wide gray, brown and red stripes that decorated its small body. Stripes like a zebra - great! We call the colorful predator "zebra fish". The third nickname, the most romantic, came from the pectoral fins. They are painfully similar in shape to bird wings. So the sea beauty and began to be called "lionfish."
Description of Zebra Fish
The length of the lionfish does not go beyond the range of 24-40 centimeters. The maximum weight of each of them does not exceed one and a half kilograms. Intensive coloring does not allow individuals to go unnoticed even at decent depths. It was no coincidence that a bright body was given to them. This is a kind of signal to other inhabitants of the sea, saying: "Beware, we are poisonous."
The head of the fish with spikes, slightly flattened on the sides, is disproportionately large in relation to the body. Near her mouth are tentacles in the form of small leathery growths. The oral cavity is large with an oblique incision and velvety teeth. The fins are equipped with soft spiny rays, similar to ribbons. In pectoral fins thickened from below, rays are absent. Lionfish does without a swimming bladder.
Poison fins
The threat lurks in chic fins. They hidden 18 sharp needles containing poisonous glands. The needles are scattered over the back, abdomen and near the luxurious tail. A lionfish, which lives in the Red Sea and other places, uses its weapons to launch, only when it senses danger. If a person does not intend to get close to her, much less touch her, there is practically no risk of getting a poisonous injection. Rybina rather retreats than attacks.
The poison has a nerve effect. The injected person needs outside help, since temporary paralysis occurs, which makes it difficult to move in water. In addition, he needs a doctor who can neutralize the poison. Poisoning is very difficult to tolerate even with competent medical care.
No deaths from an injection of lionfish have been recorded. However, this does not mean that someone is very "unlucky." With hypersensitivity, poison can provoke a powerful allergy, leading to death.
Disguise master
Merging with corals for a bright fish is a second matter. In the afternoon, the lion fish is not prone to activity. She, huddled in coral weave, abdomen sinks to the bottom, dissolves luxurious fins, consisting of process rays, and freezes. In this state, it cannot be distinguished from corals.
She begins to hunt at dusk. Lionfish is a predator. The basis of its nutrition is small fish, shrimp, crabs and shellfish.
Ways of hunting lionfish
The predator uses two ways of hunting. She tries with long fins to drive the victim into a trap (usually in a gap formed by corals) and swallow it there with lightning speed. The second option is hunting - trick. Having frozen, having opened fins and gaping mouth, the zebra fish is likened to colored algae adjacent to coral reefs.
All the small living creatures, daring to swim past the open mouth of the insidious predator, instantly turns into its prey. The glutton completely swallows its victims, without neglecting even smaller tribesmen. However, she herself goes to dinner for larger rogue hunters.
The habits of lionfish
An artful hunter - a lion fish - prefers loneliness. She fiercely defends her chosen possessions. Lionfish mercilessly expels from them all competitors, including relatives. Males are prone to excessive aggression.
The predator quickly migrates. She is often met in an unusual environment for her. Such migration causes serious concern among environmental scientists. These fish of the Red Sea, whose photos are unusual and colorful, are invasive species.
Gluttonous predators, experiencing the boom of a population explosion, are rapidly destroying young populations of the indigenous living creatures that inhabit coral plantations. They strongly crippled the number of parrots, swallows and other small fish. Ichthyologists believe that complete confusion befell local individuals due to a lack of understanding of where the threat comes from.
Lion fish are very prolific. The female is capable of sweeping up to 30,000 eggs. After a few days, the larvae hatch. At first, plankton serves them as food. One and a half and two centimeter individuals pass to the bottom lifestyle.