As if decorated in silver armor and heraldry penants, the Lion Fish reminds me of a shining knight--beautiful but deadly. There are few, if any, fish that swim through the ocean with more elegance and grace than a Lion Fish. Behind that stately grace, however, the Lion Fish is one of the most venomous fish in the sea, the sting causing excruciating pain and even some fatalities.

It is also able to move short distances with extreme speed to catch its food. It will hover above its prey extending its winglike fins as if to cage the animal. Then in a split second movement, it will lunge forward and devoir its prey in a single gulp.

This photograph is from Papua New Guinea.