Mombassa Lionfish question

[bucky1168]

I noticed something really odd. My Mombassa likes to hide in the face of a rock in my tank. One time when I was feeding him with a feeding stick, one of my other fish tried to take it before the lion got it. They came into his domain in the face of the rock. The lion went into defense mode and put his head down with his spines facing forward. The fish came back up again and seemed to get to close because it looked like the lion tried striking the fish with his spines and at the same time, there was a bunch of clear stringy stuff came from the lion. My question is, was this his venom he released? The fish was not struck and seems to be leaving the lion alone now. I guess he learned his lesson the hard way.
I tried searching for this and read the Lionfish article but came up empty.
Jim

 

[rosemoondust]

It sounds more like the lionfish was shedding his skin. Lionfish tend to shed their skin when they are under stress. This can be caused by another fish startling it or lack of vitamins in the diet or even over feeding. In this cause I will assume that it was probably just startled. You have to remember despite a lionfishs bad reputation they are surprisingly very docile fish and easily picked on by other fishies that don't fit in their mouths.

 

[namxas]

I've never heard of or seen a lion shedding its cuticle because another fish stressed it out. They typically shed their cuticles to remove parasites, algae, etc. or as they grow (IME, and actively growing fish tends to molt a bit more often). In fact, this is a trait of all Scorpaeniformes since they tend to be so sedentary and "things" tend to settle on them. IME, different species will do this with different regularities.

Sometimes when a molt is iminent, the fish can't see as well as normal because their eyes cloud over as the cuticle loosens and they get a bit more defensive until they shed.

If you have some info regarding shedding as a function of harrassment, I'd love to read it. Molting is hard work (the cuticle must be loosened first), so it doesn't make sense that a fish would shed when approached by another fish.

bucky,

Lions can't release venom at will. Their spines are covered with an integumen (sheath) which slides down as the spine pierces the skin of the "victim". The integumen presses downward as it bunches up, which effectively "squeezes" the venom gland at the base of the spine, causing the venom to move up a groove in the spine and into the wound. So, there actually has to be contact with the spine for venom to be released.

HTH

 

[jarrod13]

What I'm thinking is the lion was about to shed and when he made a jolt or sudden movement in defense it just happen to come off, being that when they're ready to get the cuticle off them they do a quick "dart" to remove it. JMO

 

[namxas]

That's a good thought Jarrod, and perfectly plausible. But it's hard to say without having seen the exchange. I do however, have a hard time seeing a mombassae go offensive, as IME, they tend to be pretty passive. Then again, it WAS "food time" and you know how lions are with food around..."that's MY morsel...get your own!"

 

[bucky1168]

Thank you for all the comments/info. I should have also mentioned the lion is new to the tank and is still getting adjusted to the tank mates as well as them getting adjusted to him.

Thanks for explaining it namxas. I would agree with everyone who said it was the lion shedding/molting. It just happend to be when it was eating time and the Hippo was very close to him. It was interesting to watch. But one thing to add is this morning, he was out in the front of the tank and not hiding in the back. He is a great little fish and I am sure when everyone gets use to each other, things will be calmer and I know what this is when it happens again.

Jim

 

[namxas]

It's very cool to hear of others keeping Mombasa lions, as I think they're one of the prettiest. Our mombassae is always out and about, and is a HUGE beggar. We feed our Scorpaeniformes M-W-F, and they sure "know" what day it is...

 

[bucky1168]

It's very cool to hear of others keeping Mombasa lions, as I think they're one of the prettiest. Our mombassae is always out and about, and is a HUGE beggar. We feed our Scorpaeniformes M-W-F, and they sure "know" what day it is...

Speaking of food, I know you have mentioned that LionFish can get Lock Jaw that is related to feeding them Krill. Since you have had and currently keep several species of LionFish, what do you feed them to make sure they stay healthy? I know in past threads you have mentioned them but I can't remember. I have had this guy for about three weeks and he eats pieces of silversides somewhat but he really goes for Krill. I would like to feed him something other than Krill but it is the one thing he goes for. At the present, I am trying to get him really hungry and then attempt the silverside again. What are your thoughts on raw seafood of some type from the grocery store? I have read of people doing this but I am trying to feed this guy something that has the nutritional value for lion species and I am lacking the knowledge since this is my first one.

And I have to agree, even though I never kept a Lion before, I feel the Mombassae is the prettiest. In fact, it was a picture and you talking about yours that got me interested in them.

Jim

 

[bucky1168]

namxas, I found your article about feeding sticks and food in the "show me your lions" thread. I am going to be making me one of those feeding sticks with the clear plastic rod and 50 lb fish line to it. Looks like that would be the best at fooling these guys.

Jim

 

[namxas]

I'm glad the article helped Jim. Good info on Scorpaeniformes is hard to come by (Frank Marini's work and personal experiences are kind of the cornerstone of scorp knowledge). Renee and I have been fortunate enuff to share the hobby, which has allowed us to be able to keep and study several species. As for the lions, we've kept every species except P. russelii, so we have a pretty good feel for them.

We use that style stick to feed our larger scorps as well, even our full-grown volitans. It's really great for feeding super small fish as well, such as our 1" female red-fin waspfish.