366 Days of 2012, Day 176 - Farewell Said the Lionfish

Farewell said the lionfish but before you go let me pose for you so that the world may see my beauty.

Well perhaps the thoughts of a lionfish are not quite so vain and complex but a poser it certainly was. For me it was a lovely way to end my last dive on this Great Barrier Reef odyssey.

This guys is a red lionfish, Pterois volitans and as mentioned in a previous post, Lionfish are common to the Indo-Pacific region and considered every bit a part of our tropical waters. Its new arrival in the U.S.A. however is not welcome at all since being introduced by the aquarium trade back in 1992. Having no natural predators in other parts of the world means this beautiful creature has become an introduced pest to our friends bordering the Atlantic Ocean.


Photo: Robert Rath, '366 Days of 2012, Day 176 - Farewell Said the Lionfish'. 1/160s at f/9 ISO-640 15mm