Lionfish The Underwater Assassin That 'Vacuums Up' Fish
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 (gunshot)
00:01 Beautiful, but deadly.
00:04 A femme fatale.
00:09 The lionfish's irregular outline helps to conceal
00:18 its presence when viewed from a distance.
00:21 Another piece of seaweed wafting in the current.
00:25 But up close, its bright colors and bold markings
00:29 serve as a vivid warning to would-be predators.
00:33 Look, but don't touch.
00:38 Also known as devil firefish,
00:45 lionfish are armed with potent venom.
00:48 Each long flowing dorsal spine
00:55 is tipped with an extremely sharp point.
00:58 (ominous music)
01:01 Glands within these spines produce powerful neurotoxins.
01:08 In humans, lionfish envenomation can cause extreme pain,
01:16 respiratory paralysis, and occasionally,
01:20 death.
01:25 Their formidable toxins and vivid threat display
01:29 have earned these fish a healthy respect
01:32 amongst the reef community.
01:33 They have few natural predators.
01:37 Although armed and fabulous,
01:42 lionfish don't use their venomous spines to hunt.
01:47 They're strictly for defense.
01:50 They're ambush predators,
01:53 relying on camouflage to sneak up on a victim.
01:57 Unaware of its presence, small reef fish
02:05 make for easy targets.
02:20 By rapidly sucking water through its wide gape
02:24 and pumping it out the gills,
02:26 the lionfish creates a vortex,
02:28 dragging this hapless fish to its doom.
02:33 This femme fatale literally eats its victims alive.
02:41 Though only the size of a football,
02:45 the lionfish sits comfortably near the top
02:48 of its food chain.
02:50 A marine assassin with flair.
02:55 (gentle music)
02:58 (upbeat music)
03:01 (upbeat music)
03:03 (upbeat music)
03:06 (upbeat music)