Latin name: Pterois volitansSize: Twelve to fifteen inches longTexas Habitat: The Gulf CoastAs the majestic lionfish glides through the ocean, its eighteen spines ripple like silk scarves in a breeze. This flashiest of fishes, with its eye-catching brown or reddish and white stripes, trolls the Gulf as a top predator, just as its namesake big cat rules the savanna. Its gorgeous fins fan out around its body the way a mane frames a lion’s face. The sea creature’s beauty belies its brutality: get too close, and the spines that appear soft and silky reveal themselves as deadly weapons, injecting venom that immobilizes prey and would-be predators and leaves humans writhing in pain. Lionfish also reproduce with shocking speed, releasing 30,000 eggs every three days. This is one…
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