Coral Encrusted Lionfish

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Lionfish have thoroughly colonized the Nagato's overturned hull, hovering motionless against coral-encrusted steel in postures that render them virtually invisible until a small fish ventures too close. Their 13 venomous dorsal spines are among the most potent defenses of any reef fish, and they have no natural predators in this ecosystem, allowing populations to grow until the wreck's resident fish community regulates through prey depletion.