Maximum Size: 6 - 8 total length (TL)
Habitat: Reefs, drop-offs and rocky caves.
Diet: Readily takes to frozen.
Degree of Difficulty: Low maintenance.
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons.
Special Considerations: Venomous.
The zebra is one of the two most common dwarf lions in the hobby along with the fuzzy dwarf, and one of the three most common lions in general, the third species being the large-bodied Pterois volitans. D. zebra can be identified by a dark spot on the lower portion of the operculum, the presence of two white spots (sometimes more of a free-form white “hourglass”) on the caudal peduncle, and dark concentric bands at the base of its beautiful webbed pectoral fins. The pectoral fin membranes extend almost to the fin ray tips, forming a non-incised web. Like most lionfish, the body pattern consists of alternating dark brown/reddish and light brown/off-white stripes.
In the wild, this little lion is fond of sheltered areas with lower current flow, so be sure to provide it with some sheltered areas in which to rest and avoid fast laminar flow. In the wild, D. zebra preys mainly on crabs and shrimp, although they will occasionally eat small fish, and like all lionfish, is a crepuscular hunter.
Unlike D. brachypterus and D. barberi, this species is not sexually dimorphic, although very subtle differences between the sexes have been reported, such as larger heads and bodies in male specimens. Since it is virtually impossible to sex this species, and males will fight, it’s best to keep a single specimen of D. zebra per tank.
In general, captive care for this fish is similar to that of the fuzzy dwarf. It has been found, however, that these fish can easily seccumb to unknown illnesses when newly aquired. Not as hardy as the fuzzy or Hawaiian.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS (coming soon!)
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
| Phylum: |
Chordata |
| Class: |
Actinopterygii |
| Order: |
Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: |
Scorpaenidae |
| Subfamily: |
Scorpaeninae |
| Genus |
Dendrochirus |
| Species: |
zebra |
