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A lionfish swimming at a coral reef in the Red Sea.

A lionfish swimming at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
A lionfish swimming at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
A lionfish swimming at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
A lionfish swimming at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
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144174
Hughen, Konrad A.
A lionfish swimming at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
Still Image
05/20/2008
RedseaKHughen_LionFish_C.jpg
2009 Calendar caption:
A lionfish spreads out distinctively-patterned fins around its body and shows its zebra stripes. Such striking beauty hides a deadly secret: the lionfish has venomous spines hidden among the dorsal fins, and can deliver a very painful?though rarely fatal to humans?sting. The fish adopts a head-down posture and will swim aggressively towards intruders with spines exposed, to warn them away.
Image of The Day caption:
A lionfish spreads out distinctively-patterned fins around its body and shows its zebra stripes. Such striking beauty hides a deadly secret: the lionfish has venomous spines hidden among the dorsal fins, and can deliver a very painful?though rarely fatal to humans?sting. The fish adopts a head-down posture and will swim aggressively towards intruders with spines exposed, to warn them away. This image and other coral reef images from the Red Sea are featured in the 2009 WHOI Wall Calendar, now available for purchase online at the WHOI Store.
Photo by Konrad Hughen
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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