Lionfish certainly aren’t the fastest predators on the reef, but new research suggests that they can catch swift prey through pure tenacity, gliding slowly in pursuit until the perfect moment to strike.
The finding may help explain part of the lionfish’s impact as an invasive species, and reveal a key hunting strategy that other relatively slow predators use, researchers report August 2 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Festooned with long striped spines, lionfish can make their surreal silhouettes disappear against a coral reef backdrop long enough to stalk and ambush small fish. But the predators also feed in open water where they’re more visible.
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