Welcome

What is as graceful and beautiful as a butterfly,

as ferocious as the most dangerous predator,

and delivers a painful sting with its

venomous spines?

It is the lionfish, a native to coral reefs in the tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. But you don't have to travel halfway around the world to see a lionfish.

Perhaps you have seen one in a friend's home aquarium?

Lionfish are popular saltwater aquarium fish all over the world, but especially in the United States.

Nowadays, they also live in western Atlantic waters off the East Coast of the United States. These lionfish are what scientists call an invasive species or an "alien invader."

Invasive species like the lionfish are becoming a major problem in many parts of the world. Scientists are using newly collected data and technology to try to answer the question:

How does an "alien invasion," like that of the lionfish, affect an ecosystem?

Learn about the environmental and economic consequences of invasive species, using the recent invasion of the lionfish as a case study.

Read on to find out more about the lionfish invasion!