The SEA LIFE London Aquarium has named a group of Lionfish in honour of the Lionesses and their success at the UEFA Women’s EUROs this year.
Dubbed as the LioNESSfish, the line-up features Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Mary Earps and Jill Scott.
The tribute, launched to send off the team as they headed to Switzerland, saw the aquarium run an Instagram poll last month where fans voted on which footballers the Lionfish should pay homage to.
London Aquarium General Manager Neil Harris said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to unveil our newly named LionESSfish squad inspired by the incredible achievements of the Lionesses of both the past and present.
“Naming our Lionfish brings a touch of inspiration and excitement to the aquarium and we hope to one day welcome the players to our attraction to meet their namesakes”.
Distinguished by their vibrant colours, protective behaviours and agile movements, Harris likens the fish species as the most suitable aquatic representatives of the football team.
The squad includes the Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish, which can grow up to 17cm in size, alongside the Fu manchu Lionfish, reaching up to 12cm.
Following their victory against Sweden, the Lionesses are now preparing to defend their title at the semi-finals against Italy this week.
Fans are invited to meet the LioNESSfish at Southbank’s SEA LIFE London Aquarium which is home to more than 500 marine species and attracts a million sightseers each year.
Feature image credit: Jasmine Wissart using images via the Creative Commons License
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