Clearfin Lionfish

Pterois cincta, also known as the 🌊 Red Sea lionfish or 🌊 Red Sea clearfin lionfish, is a marine ray-finned fish that belongs to the Scorpaenidae family, which includes scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is primarily found in the 🌊 Red Sea.

This species was first formally described in 1838 by the German naturalist and explorer, Eduard Rüppell. The type locality, or the place where the specimen was first recorded, is Jeddah in 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia. Initially, there was debate among experts regarding its classification as a junior synonym of P. radiata. However, it is now widely accepted as a distinct and valid species. The specific name "cincta" refers to its belted appearance, due to the thin milky white horizontal stripes on its body.

Pterois cincta has 12 spines and between 10 and 12 soft rays in its dorsal fin, typically 11. Its anal fin consists of 3 spines and 6 or 7 soft rays. The pectoral fin usually has 16 fin rays, although occasionally there may be 15, 17, or 18 rays. The soft rays of the dorsal fin and anal fin are relatively long, averaging around 35% and 40% of the fish's standard length, respectively. The pectoral and pelvic fin rays are also relatively long, with the ninth ray of the pectoral fin nearly as long as or exceeding the fish's standard length. The supraocular tentacles of this species lack lateral branches. Pterois cincta reaches a maximum total length of 15.9 cm (6.3 in).

The body and head of Pterois cincta have a brownish-red background color with whitish lips. A wide reddish-brown band, edged with thin white stripes, extends diagonally from the tentacle above the eye to the back edge of the preoperculum. Additionally, there are two more white-edged rusty colored bands encircling the nape. The flanks have five similar rusty bands, with the white stripes forking at the dorsal and ventral ends. The second and third bands are the widest and have a width greater than the diameter of the orbit. A horizontal white-edged rusty band can be observed on the caudal peduncle. The fins of Pterois cincta have a similar reddish-brown color to the body, with only the rays of the soft-rayed dorsal and anal fins exhibiting this coloration. The membranes of these fins are translucent, and there are whitish markings on both the pectoral and pelvic fins.

Pterois cincta is believed to be only found in the 🌊 Red Sea, specifically ranging from the straits at Bab-el-Mandeb to the Gulf of Aqaba. It inhabits sandy bottoms in or near coral reefs at depths of 5 to 15 meters (16 to 49 feet).