Lionfish
Pterois volitans
Sighting evidence at Sanko Maru, Rabaul
Photo: 808_Diver · CC BY-NC
Lionfish are apex ambush predators on the Sanko Maru, hovering motionless in the shadowed doorways of cargo holds where glassfish swarm. Their venomous spines make them virtually immune to predation on the wreck, allowing individuals to hold the same territory for years. At dawn and dusk they drift out over the deck to hunt, spreading their pectoral fins wide to corral small fish against the rusted steel.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Lionfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.