Amazing Animals: The Lionfish

Amazing Animals: The Lionfish

Bible Blast: Read Romans 12:3-8

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. Romans 12:6

Do you have a fish aquarium? I don’t have one, but I think they’re really beautiful. Once I had a tiny fishbowl. It held two goldfish, Jet and Fruit Juice, we had won at the Grange Fair. We loved the quiet comfort and entertainment that Jet and Fruit Juice provided to our family. Unfortunately, Fruit Juice died one day. My husband was worried that Jet was lonely, so he went out and bought a little glass crab that floated in the tank so Jet would have a friend. That glass crab terrified the goldfish! Poor Jet jumped right out of that bowl! He made it three feet across the table. Jet was scared out of his mind.

I love snorkeling, so I’ve seen some pretty cool “wild” fish, too. One of the most impressive saltwater fish I’ve ever seen is the lionfish. With zebra-striped spikes extending from their bodies, they can mesmerize a snorkler with their beauty. They’re native to the oceans around Australia, but recently they’ve been spotted below Florida. How’d they get there? Perhaps when an aquarium in Florida was destroyed in a hurricane. While it’s fun to look at them, it is not good to have them in those Atlantic waters.

Not only can lionfish be supergrumpy, but those beautiful spikes are highly venomous. A group of lionfish can kill off the native population of fish around a coral reef by 80 percent in just five weeks! While lionfish will not be aggressive toward humans (although you should be careful to avoid touching them if you come near them in the ocean), they will not hesitate to kill off fellow fish. These fish were born to fight.

I’m thankful for the beauty and strength of the lionfish, but I’m also thankful for simple pet goldfish you can win at the fair. They both have important roles in the world, but they’re very different from each other, just like us. God made some people to be flashy fighters and others to be quiet encouragers.

What kind of “fish” are you?

Girl Gab: After the description I gave of the lionfish, you probably should look for a photo or video clip of one online or in the encyclopedia! Aren’t they beautiful? Maybe you’ve never prayed for the animals in the ocean before, but take a sec to pray for the coral reefs in the Caribbean.