Lenny the Lionfish- Traits

​ Lenny and the Lionfish

1 One hot summer day as Lenny was eating breakfast, his father entered the kitchen.

2 Immediately, his dad exclaimed, “I’ve got a surprise for you! We are going to the aquarium!”

3 Lenny was indeed surprised. “You mean, like the aquarium we have in my classroom at school?”

4 Lenny’s dad chuckled and replied. “No, that aquarium is just a small tank. The aquarium I’m taking you to see is a place where we can go and observe marine life. An aquarium is like a zoo but specifically for fish and other various marine animals.”

​ 5 Lenny loved animals and was excited about his visit to the aquarium. As soon as he finished his breakfast, he was ready to go. He and his dad walked to the city train and boarded the train that would take them to the aquarium. Once at the aquarium, they saw many different types of animals, such as clownfish and seahorses. There was even a touch tank where Lenny could touch various marine animals and plants.

6 Lenny was attracted to the beautiful stripes and pointy spines of the lionfish.

7 One of the marine biologists nearby saw Lenny staring into the lionfish tank and came over to talk to him.

8 “You really seem interested in that fish, huh?” asked the scientist. “I am Dan, and the lionfish is my favorite, too.”

9 “Nice to meet you, Dan. I am Lenny, and yes, I am very interested in the lionfish. What does the lionfish eat?” asked Lenny.

Multiple Choice

1. Why did Lenny’s dad chuckle when Lenny said “Like the aquarium we have in my classroom? (third paragraph)

• A. Lenny told a joke.

• B. He realized that lenny did not like aquariums.

• C. He realized that Lenny thought they were going to visit a small tank, like the one at school.

• D. He realized that Lenny thought all schools had aquariums.

Multiple Choice

2. What do you think Dan probably does at his job?

• A. He sells tickets to the aquarium.

• B. He cleans the tanks at the aquarium.

• C. He studies marine life.

• D. We can’t tell from the information in the story

10 “It eats other fish. It has inherited its own weapons system from its parents. The spines on the fish are full of venom to protect itself and also to intimidate other sea creatures. In fact, the lionfish is a very efficient predator. It herds other fish into a corner, attacks them, and swallows them whole. Surprisingly, it can eat 20 small fish in under 30 minutes.”

11 “Whoa!” exclaimed Lenny.

12 “I just got back from the Caribbean and saw a lot of lionfish there. They are causing damage to the reef fish,” said Dan.

13 Lenny was confused. “But the information card states that the lionfish are from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Those oceans are both far away from the Caribbean.”

14 “Good thinking,” said Dan. “Do you have any idea how the lionfish could have ended up so far from home? What’s your hypothesis as to why or how such a thing could have happened?”

15 “Maybe someone had a lionfish as a pet and didn’t want it anymore. They could have possibly let it go in the water?” responded Lenny.

16 “You’re close,” said Dan. “We actually think the lionfish showed up in 1992 due to Hurricane Andrew. We suspect that the force of the hurricane broke a private aquarium and released six lionfish into the sea.”

17 “How could only six lionfish cause such a problem for the other fish?” said Lenny.

18 “Well,” said Dan. “As I said, the lionfish have inherited traits that make it a very effective predator. The other fish in the Caribbean are not used to lionfish and haven’t learned behaviors that will allow them to escape from the lionfish. As a result, those six lionfish have multiplied into a big population, causing a big problem!”

19 Lenny looked back at the lionfish drifting in the water. It was still beautiful, but now Lenny also understood how dangerous a predator it could be.

Multiple Choice

3. Why is the lionfish such a successful predator in the Caribbean?

• A. It has spines that hold venom.

• B. It knows how to herd other fish into corners.

• C. Other fish have not learned to escape it.

• D. All of the above.

Multiple Choice

4. True or false: There are only six lionfish in the Caribbean today.

• A. True. Only six escaped from the aquarium during the hurricane.

• B. False. The lionfish in the Caribbean probably had offspring, who also had offspring, and so on.

• C. False. All of the lionfish are dea.

• D. The question cannot be answered with the information from the passage..

Multiple Choice

5. How do Lenny’s feelings about the lionfish change over the course of the passage?

• A. The lionfish is Lenny’s favorite, but as he learns more about it, he understands it can also be dangerous.

• B. Lenny does not like the lionfish until he learns what a dangerous predator it can be.

• C. Lenny thinks the lionfish is neat but he loves it even more when he realizes it is dangerous.

• D. Lenny prefers the clownfish at first but learns to like the lionfish.