1st Non-Native Lionfish Found in Florida

Key Largo, FL

It has been reported that a diver has spotted a non-native lionfish in Florida off Key Largo, a region of which is the nation's only living coral reef.

Lionfish are native to warm waters throughout the world, but a popular theory holds that a lionfish from a tropical salt water tank had escaped during the hurricane in 1992 and has since multiplied. Lionfish are now reported as far north as Rhode Island.

Voracious eaters and prolific multipliers, scientists are concerned that they can devastate the reef ecosystem as there are no natural predators in the region.

Marine biologists are requesting the help of local divers to spot and report the location of lionfish for removal.

If divers observe a lionfish, they are requested to report the sightings to Dan Roberts at the Florida Marine Research Institute and Paula Whitfield at the NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research.

This is what they do in Cozumel as well, trouble is there seems to be no effective followup effort to remove the fish. Prudence suggests to kill the lionfish with care in addition to reporting the sighting. In both cases, if lionfish are as rare currently as observations suggest in these isolated areas, it seems foolish to do otherwise. That is as long as you don't get yourself poisoned by accident. The Bahamas is awash with them, in greater numbers than I noticed in their natural haunts in the Red Sea recently. Also, there are tons of lionfish in Florida, have been for sometime, they've just been seen off NE Florida. They are now moving south. We have a thin shot currently at perhaps keeping populations low in these new areas. Lionfish in the Bahamas and likely NE Florida through the Carolinas may be too entrenched at this point.

More at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4402

Get your lionfish here, cold beer and hot lionfish!!!
They taste like Chicken... Bock!!

Haven't tried them myself yet, but they say they taste like hogfish. Perhaps even better. Understand there is a restaurant on Nassau paying $12. a pound for it. Create a commercial incentive, that will clean them out if anything can based on impacts on other fisheries.

Check out littleleemur's lionfish recipe on this very site!

http://www.scubamagazine.net/showthr...6258#post16258

Sounds yummy!

Good to know that.

*****UPDATE******

Non-Native Lionfish are all over Florida at this point. A friend of mine found one at the Blue Heron Bridge a few weeks back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by acelockco

*****UPDATE******

Non-Native Lionfish are all over Florida at this point. A friend of mine found one at the Blue Heron Bridge a few weeks back.

---

So if they are all over Florida, does that mean they are now known as Native Lionfish?? ;) :D

No, they are always going to be Non-Native as they are not naturally a part of the eco system. They were brought to the area by humans and don't belong there. Being there throws off the balance of things.

Lottie, no, the offspring of the original invading lionfish would be the new native ones as they would be born here, lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Publisher

Lottie, no, the offspring of the original invading lionfish would be the new native ones as they would be born here, lol

---

sorry but that is wrong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Publisher

Lottie, no, the offspring of the original invading lionfish would be the new native ones as they would be born here, lol

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by acelockco

sorry but that is wrong

---

Sorry Ace, but the publisher's response actually makes more sense to me (in a sorta logical way!) :)

Lol, from a fish standpoint, Ace is right, from a human standpoint, which doesn't apply, Lottie and myself are right, hence my silly semantical joke ;)

I noticed the Lionfish are avoiding Arizona lately!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by h2odragon1

I noticed the Lionfish are avoiding Arizona lately!

---

Yea' I bet. Try the pet shop (aquarium shop) near you and you can pay top dollar for something that we want to eliminate. Crazy how things like that work.