These fish are easily one of the more beautiful fish out of all the lionfish species. They are the smaller of the pterois genus and are often mis-ID'd as a P. antennata. This mis-ID is of little consequence, for the care/requirements and tankmates are pretty much similar through the medium-sized Pterois group. These less common found species have distinguishable oversized eyes in comparison with head size. Their pectoral fin filaments are much less long and dramatic than seen in the antennata with a misbarred pattern on the caudal peduncle.
As they feed prodominently on crabs in the wild, train to frozen foods through the utilization of ghost shrimp, as swimming mid-column fish may be ignored.
These fish do have a record for being the more sensitive to water quaity issues where most other lions tend to be "tougher" in this regard. They often succum to bacterial infection which prodominently presents itself as cloudy eyes.
Fin nipping fish should not be a tankmate canidate for any lionfish, but this species with especially filamentous fins, it is a must to keep fin nippers out.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
| Phylum: |
Chordata |
| Class: |
Actinopterygii |
| Order: |
Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: |
Scorpaenidae |
| Subfamily: |
Pteroinae |
| Genus |
Pterois |
| Species: |
mombasae |
