Lionfish

The beauty of the lionfish is undeniable. They have a way about them that makes them seem to float through the water. Their long fins are used when trapping their prey and they are quite the predator. They are not native to our waters and they have a tendency to eat every other fish. This is the reason that people would dump them from their fish tanks into the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast as well. Their barbs are filled with poison that is not lethal, but painful.

While visiting in Florida, we saw several signs posted where there is a bounty on their heads. They are wanted dead or alive, and the game people also want to know the gps coordinates as well. Not long after we left Florida, there was a rodeo offering rewards for this unnatural denizen of the deep.

Lionfish 12 x 12 acrylic on canvas shadowbox frame