Bluefin Lionfish?

For what it's worth, the speciation of this critter calls for some disambiguation. I think it's likely that the species depicted in the video and on the saltwaterfish website is actually in the genus Dendrochirus. At least according to Scott Michael, the Dendrochirus not the Pterois has the membrane bound pectoral rays that extend to just short of the caudal fin. This would actually be fortunate since many of the Dendrochirus species listed reach a max size of only 6-7" whereas many Pterois species get much much larger. One species in particular that resembles the on from the video is D. brachypterus.
In general lion fish aren't big swimmers, their plumage is a camouflage and their spines a defensive mechanism against predators. They're typically found in outcroppings or shallow flats where crinoids are often found. In that environment they blend in quite well. Even their feeding ecology suggests a lethargic life style; they're ambush predators. I hope that gives you some additional stuff to go on! I think as far as ordering and getting any specific coloration it's really a craps shoot.

 

LOL . I think Andy Sometimes forgets that many of us are simple good ole boys and gals.

 

Sorry guys, this is seriously just the way I talk. :/ My narrative is not meant to be non sequitur and thus procures it's derivatives from definitions......Now I'm just being facetious lol. Even if you have to wade through unfamiliar terms and words from my narratives, the meaning is often (or at least meant to be) more succinct than offering an explanation through coarser language. And hey, you might even learn a few new words! lol

The thing is, when it comes down to it, I'm just like everybody else, I like to pound out a few beers, I can wrench like hell on a car, I can PVC the **** out of stuff, and although I've been prone to electrocution, I still consider myself a pretty good electrician. Most of my close friends find my nomenclature to be a great source of comedy....especially when were wasted! lol

I think you get the gist though right? Scorpionfish are adapted to be ambush predators, they are not at the top of the food chain, and it's not uncommon to see them hiding or being otherwise inconspicuous while moving. In the absence of predators they are likely to be more active swimming throughout the water column and less benthically oriented. That's kind of a bummer to me, I mean yeah it's cool to see them swim all over the place but something about a fishes locomotive behavior adds more context to their identity and natural history. Every once in a while, I see my Anthias naturally schooling and on a very rare occassion I will see one vertically oriented against the rock like they do in those videos from the Red Sea. When I see those things, it really motivates me to think about habitats and ecology critically, and in a practical sense, I think about how I might design a tank, or rockwork, or water flow, to elicit more natural behaviors.

Thinking critically about aquatic environments also means I'll kick your *** all day long out fishin!!! lol I've been known to have a few tricks up my sleeve....but leave the women at home! I always get beat by my wife or my mom when I'm out! hahaha

Cya guys,
Andy