Lionfish

Photo: 808_Diver · CC BY-NC

Common lionfish hover in the shaded overhangs and swim-through entrances of Cathedral Rock, their elaborate venomous spines fanned outward in a warning display that is nonetheless more defensive than offensive. They are most active at dusk when they begin herding small fish into corners using their broad pectoral fins before striking, and night dives at Cathedral Rock reveal their hunting behavior in full. The rock's complex architecture provides the sheltered daytime refuges this species prefers.