Lionfish Lair
Renee
I thought maybe some of these pictures will help tell the difference between the Cirolanid (bad) verses a Sphaeromatid (good).
It's all in the eyes.....
The eyes of the Cirolanid are generally closer together and towards the front of the head. They always look angry because of the slant of their eyes. Think of them as needing to look forward to "capture" it's prey.
The Sphaeromatid eyes are generally more to the side of the head. They always remind me of baby seals with their big black harmless looking eyes. The side by side pictures I've included below may help you with the "visualization".
It's not all in the eyes, I lied. Sphaeromatids also have the common name "Roly Poly" as they, unlike the Cirolanid, roll up in a defensive position when they feel threatened. The Cirolanids cannot do this. Think of it like this: the Cirolanid is mean and will never back down from a fight. The innocent little Sphaeromatid rolls up in a tiny little ball saying "Please, don't hurt me!".
While it's true you can tell they aren't a Cirolanid when they roll in a ball, you cannot assume one that is not in such a position, is automatically a Cirolanid. Below are pictures of the same species at the same time. One is rolled up like a typical Sphaeromatid defensive position, the other did not do so, as may be expected.
Where you find them may also help decipher which is which. If it's attached to your fish, it's probably pretty safe to say it's a Cirolanid. If there are a few scurrying around when you lift up a rock, lean towards it being a Sphaeromatid.
It's all in the eyes.....
The eyes of the Cirolanid are generally closer together and towards the front of the head. They always look angry because of the slant of their eyes. Think of them as needing to look forward to "capture" it's prey.
The Sphaeromatid eyes are generally more to the side of the head. They always remind me of baby seals with their big black harmless looking eyes. The side by side pictures I've included below may help you with the "visualization".
It's not all in the eyes, I lied. Sphaeromatids also have the common name "Roly Poly" as they, unlike the Cirolanid, roll up in a defensive position when they feel threatened. The Cirolanids cannot do this. Think of it like this: the Cirolanid is mean and will never back down from a fight. The innocent little Sphaeromatid rolls up in a tiny little ball saying "Please, don't hurt me!".
While it's true you can tell they aren't a Cirolanid when they roll in a ball, you cannot assume one that is not in such a position, is automatically a Cirolanid. Below are pictures of the same species at the same time. One is rolled up like a typical Sphaeromatid defensive position, the other did not do so, as may be expected.
Where you find them may also help decipher which is which. If it's attached to your fish, it's probably pretty safe to say it's a Cirolanid. If there are a few scurrying around when you lift up a rock, lean towards it being a Sphaeromatid.
