Lionfish taxonomy
Dear crew:
I have perused everything on this site that I can find, and Dr. Marini's articles on reefkeeper.com, and I remain baffled, hoping you can shed some light.  I'm trying to identify a fish by species, and having difficulty. I am sorry that I can't forward digital pictures, and am hoping that a gross physical description might be a purposeful place to start.
<Not likely>
A local fish store has a variant of dwarf lion that seems not to fit with what I can find in descriptions of species.  When asked, employees could only report that it had been taken in trade, and had been in the store for some time.  Anecdotally, one of them thought it might have originally come from Florida, though that could just as easily have been the locus of the collector/aquarist. When queried about the species, they generalized it to be a fuzzy dwarf.
<There are many scorpaenoid fishes called "dwarf lions", not all are pteroines...>
The critter in question most generally seems to be brachypterus, but not quite.  The pectoral fins have the characteristic shape reminiscent of the sail on a Chinese junk, and are webbed almost to the end of the spines. Body shape [about 4"], coloration, and fin profile are generally consistent, but there are a few significant departures.  It lacks the "moustache" protuberances at the corners of the mouth, and has no noticeable "horns" above the eyes.  There are bumps of tissue along the lateral line, again consistent with brachypterus, but most noticeably there are no "flags" of tissue at the ends of the dorsal spines as both of my fuzzies have.  Finally, while every fuzzy I have seen has blue eyes, the eyes of this fish have a bright orange outer circle, with a center that is a deep green/black [like a Tahitian black pearl].
My best guess is that it's actually a barberi.  Can you suggest any definitive characteristics that I can look for to identify it more definitively?  Am I overlooking the obvious, and can you tell me what I should have figured out on my own?  
<Mmm, you might peruse the linked references for these species, genera on fishbase.org or make a trip to a large college library for a computer searched bibliography... There is variation in the Brachypterus mentioned... color and appendages-wise... Bob Fenner>
Looking forward to your suggestions,
Rick Walters
 

Lionfish ID, health This is a two part question. First off I have what I thought was a Volitans Lion-fish in my 125 gal tank. Some friends have seen him and think he looks more like a Russell's lion. What exactly is the difference other than size? <Some meristics... please see fishbase.org re> I've seen pics of both and he can be either. I will attach pics for you to see. Also, he has a major growth on his fin that looks like a darkened swelling. You can see it slightly in the pic included. Is this lymphocystis? <Mmm, doesn't appear so to me... likely a growth from a "bump"... hopefully will heal of its own accord. Bob Fenner>

A lionfish with and w/o antenna
I currently have a lionfish that has two prominent antenna. My friend has one with no antenna. Supposedly they are both the same species. I would like to know the difference. I was thinking one was male and the other female?? Or different species?
<Good question. I have also seen sympatric (the same) species of lionfishes underwater and in captivity who had "antennae" and not. Don't know the definitive answer here, but I suspect that sometimes the ones "missing" these structures have suffered physical trauma (have seen other fishes bite these off!), and other times that there is genetic diversity at play. It's thought that Lionfish species use their fantastic array of large pectoral, anterior dorsal and "head appendages" mainly for prey-gathering... making a large, confusing appearance as they charge small fishes and motile invertebrates as food... The "antennae" seem like they would help here. Bob Fenner>

"Black" Lionfish (8/4/04)
Hi Bob, <Steve Allen with you today.>
There is a lion fish that is black, can You please confirm this for me, and tell me if they are readily available, I have heard about them, but living in Tassie we have very limited opportunities to purchase one of these. Would be very grateful for any help.
Regards Sue-Ellen <I suspect you are referring to the "Black" volitans. This a color morph of the species Pterois volitans. The stripes of this species range in color from red to brown to black, but they are all the same species. Since individual coloration is a factor of more than just genetics (diet plays a big roll for instance), there is no guarantee that a black one you buy will stay black. Many fish change shades over time.>