Devil firefish (Pterois miles)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Perciformes · Family: Scorpaenidae · Genus: Pterois.

Accepted name: Pterois miles · Authority: (Bennett, 1828) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218077.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Pterois muricata Cuvier, 1829; Scorpaena miles Bennett, 1828.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218077 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Pterois miles. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 43 cm · Depth range: 0–85 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 33 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Adults are found in coastal waters in muddy habitats (Ref. 48635). Minimum depth of 0m (Ref. 81209). Fin spines highly venomous, may cause human death (Ref. 30573).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 7797) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pterois-miles.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

9,735 georeferenced occurrence records for Pterois miles are published through GBIF from 54 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 251 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 83 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Greece (2,099); Egypt (1,380); Malta (1,215); Italy (738); Croatia (721).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2334433) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2334433&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218077 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 190475) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/190475/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2334433) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2334433/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pterois miles was first formally described as Scorpaena miles in 1828 by the British naturalist John Whitchurch Bennett, with the type locality given as the south coast of Sri Lanka. A molecular study of this species, the red lionfish, the luna lionfish and Russell's lionfish found that the common lionfishes in the western Indian Ocean formed a lineage, that a second lineage consisted of both the luna lionfish and Russell's lionfish, suggesting these two taxa are conspecific, while the red firefish formed a third lineage which appeared to have genetic contributions from the other two lineages. This suggests that the red lionfish arose from hybrids between P. miles and P. russelii sensu lato.

Etymology

The specific name miles is Latin for "soldier"; Bennett did not explain this, but it may be that the red colour reminded him of the red tunics worn by British soldiers in the 19th century.

Description

The common lionfish grows up to 35 cm in length. The dorsal fin has 13 long, strong spines and 9-11 soft rays, and the anal fin has three long spines and six or seven soft rays.

The dorsal fin appears feathery and the pectoral fins are wing-like with separate broad, smooth rays. These fish vary in colour from reddish to tan or grey and have numerous thin, dark, vertical bars on their heads and bodies. Its head is less angular than that of P. volitans.

Behaviour

The common lionfish is mainly nocturnal and hides in crevices during the daytime. It feeds on fish and small crustaceans.

It has few predators, probably because of its venomous spines, but larger lionfish do prey on smaller ones. Moray eels have shown resistance to the spines and it was reported that lion fish are included in their diet. The bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii) has been shown to feed on it, as also do groupers in the Bahamas.

Distribution and habitat

P. miles is native to the Indian Ocean, from the Red Sea, to South Africa, and to Indonesia. Recorded first in 1991 in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel, following entry via the Suez Canal, it is now common in the eastern Basin, with recent observations in the Sicily channel. It is also now present off the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean Sea where is regarded as an invasive species.

It is very similar in appearance to P. volitans, which does not occur in the Red Sea. P. miles is usually found in areas with crevices or lagoons, often on the outer slopes of coral reefs. Moray eels have recently been identified as natural predators of P. miles in its native habitat in the Red Sea. Some grouper species and reef sharks are also its predators.

The fin spines are highly venomous and have caused death to humans in some reported cases. Despite this, a sting from this species is rarely fatal to humans. Nevertheless, a sting can cause extreme pain, vomiting, convulsion, minor paralysis, and breathing difficulties. Therefore, immediate emergency medical attention is strongly recommended, even for healthy adults who have been stung, as some people are more sensitive to the venom than others after being stung, and symptoms and reactions from the venom vary in severity from person to person.

Source: Wikipedia: Pterois miles — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterois_miles (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.