Juvenile Lionfish OR Rockmover Wrasse?

[MarkUK]

I always find it interesting that we all refer to these particular fishes as lionfish when they are, in fact, turkeyfish due to the fact that the name lionfish is already taken by another Indo-Pacific species of fish.

As Justleesa pointed out, one is primarily known as a Hawaiian lionfish, but also as a Hawaiian turkeyfish, and yet the lesser-used name is the correct one. A very similar fish in the Red Sea is known as a clearfin lionfish.

Mind you, the other one we normally see in the Red Sea has the real name of Military Turkeyfish, which doesn't exactly sound cool, does it.... So many people refer to them as lionfish that I even use that name in the mag, as otherwise it just confuses people.

Makes you wonder how many other species are commonly referred to by divers, mags, etc, with incorrect names.

Great pic of the green lionfish, by the way – never seen one of those.

Mark

 

[isurus]

This is why we should all try to use latin names if we really want to avoid confusion.....

 

[donnyb]

This is why we should all try to use latin names if we really want to avoid confusion.....

As I did....
By the way, Randall's Shore Fishes of Hawaii describes the fish in this thread as Hawaiian Lionfish, and the Pterois sphex as Hawaiian Turkeyfish. No mention of a green lionfish.
I believe he did this because both are endemic species.

 

[Jcsgt]

Thanks for the fish i.d. education!

 

[justleesa]

Just looked, they have different latin names too. The latin name for the green lionfish is Dendrochirus barberi (Hawaiian name Nahu) and the one for the Hawaiian Lion/Turkey fish is Pterois sphex ( Hawaiian name Nahu pinao).

 

[Jcsgt]

I barely have a grasp on English names. No way can I get a hold on Latin. It's just a good thing I wasn't born in France, too, 'cause I can't speak a word of French.

 

[justleesa]

WAAHHH!!! :rofl: