上世纪80年代，狮子鱼被引入大西洋，太平洋红狮子鱼（Pterois volitans）吞噬了加勒比海本地和大西洋西部的珊瑚礁鱼类，从而使它们的丰度减少了90%。
美国俄勒冈州立大学的海洋生物学家Mark A. Albins和同事在本周出版的《海洋生态进展系列》（Marine Ecology Progress Series）杂志上报告称，狮子鱼成功的秘诀之一便是它们在其他鱼类掠食者中前所未闻的捕食策略——在靠近猎物的时候向后者喷射水流以迷惑它们。
这些喷出的水流打击了目标的侧线，这是一条鱼的神经系统的一部分，用来探测接近的对象的震动和温度。
猎物的结局通常都是面对饥饿的狮子鱼，这增加了其遭受迎头痛击的可能性，并减少了狮子鱼被自身的棘状突起卡住的危险性。
研究人员最早在观察栖息在巴哈马群岛附近的狮子鱼时发现了这些行为。在他们观察的生活在大西洋的狮子鱼中，只有18%会喷射水流；而生活在太平洋的狮子鱼则有一半会采用这一策略。
研究人员认为，这是因为对于狮子鱼来说，生活在大西洋中的猎物更容易捕捉，而不用求助于这一独门绝技。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.3354/meps09580
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Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans blow directed jets of water at prey fish
Mark A. Albins
Field and laboratory observations of feeding by invasive Pacific red lionfish Pterois voli- tans were conducted during June through August of 2008, 2009 and 2010 near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas. Observations of this invasive marine predator revealed a previously undocumented pis- civorous behavior. While slowly approaching prey fish, lionfish produce jets of water directed toward their prey. These jets may confuse or distract prey, and often result in prey fish facing the attacking lion- fish, increasing the probability of head-first capture and swallowing. While a variety of fishes are re - ported to create directed water jets, to our knowl- edge, this is the first report of a fish that does so during the capture of fish prey. This behavior may confer a high degree of predatory efficiency, and thus con- tribute to the dramatic success of this Pacific invader of tropical Western Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs.
