No photo available
Red lionfish
Pterois volitans
Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).
Possibly present in the Maldives
- English
- Red lionfish
- Scientific
- Pterois volitans
- Dhivehi
- Fanhaa mas
- Group
- Reef fish
- Maximum size
- Up to about 46 cm (total length); max. published weight 1.4 kg
- Depth and habitat
- Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 2 to 55 m
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2015
- Record in the Maldives
- Possibly present
Description
A large lionfish with red to brown bars, long feathery pectoral fins and tall venomous dorsal spines, reaching about 46 cm. It is mainly a Pacific species, closely resembling the Indian Ocean devil firefish.
In the Maldives
Listed by FishBase only as 'possibly present' in the Maldives; Maldivian lionfish of this kind are usually the devil firefish, Pterois miles.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Pterois-volitans.html
- fishbase.se /comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=5195&GenusName=Pterois&SpeciesName=vo
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Red_Lionfish_Pterois_volitans_Left_Side_2460px.jpg
Dhivehi name source: FishBase common names (country: Maldives) give 'Fanhaa mas' (Latin script). FishBase also lists 'Fang-hamas' under India (Minicoy/Lakshadweep Mahl dialect); not used. FLAG: single source.