I wish people who have exotic pets would think twice about "setting them free" when they can no longer care for them.
---Bob
---Bob
Exotics Invade
- Thread starter RickI
- Start date
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OP
RickI
Contributor
So, what to try to do about this? Current indications are the expansion of lionfish populations will be a bad thing and at the expense of some native species.
I have long been impressed with the capacity of overfishing to deplete species. We seem to have a knack for this. Why not apply this urge to something more productive? Government might even take it a step further and offer a bounty for each lionfish brought in.
I know the depth range of lionfish may remove a portion of the population from ready harvesting in this fashion but the shallower components should be fairly vulnerable. Input on this?
I have long been impressed with the capacity of overfishing to deplete species. We seem to have a knack for this. Why not apply this urge to something more productive? Government might even take it a step further and offer a bounty for each lionfish brought in.
I know the depth range of lionfish may remove a portion of the population from ready harvesting in this fashion but the shallower components should be fairly vulnerable. Input on this?
OCDinNC
Guest
Teen Diver:
Lionfish are pretty common off the NC coast, at least Wilmington to Morehead City area. I've photographed quite a few on wrecks. Never been scared of them or had to "stay calm and swim away". While they are not good critters, they do make pretty good subjects, and have never seen aggresive. Of course, I don'r try to play with 'em!
OP
RickI
Contributor
Just returned from Andros with some fresh sighting info and some photos. Even saw a juvenal. More at:
Something Rich And Strange ... Diving Tales From The Water Underworld - FKA Kiteboarding Forums
divematt
Contributor
I saw 3 Lionfish within 10 feet of each other on my first dive and 1 on my second dive 18 miles offshore Daytona in an area called "Party Grounds". The one I saw on the second dive was upside down under a ledge that I was scoping for lobster. I'm glad I didn't reach in there. The water was 89 feet deep and 68 degrees. There are too many now to do anything about.
I saw a total of 16 lionfish this last Sunday offshore Jacksonville. There were six hanging around the rudder of the "Powerful" and another 10 at the "Double Barges".
When one of my regular customers came in the store today, I ran this idea by him. These lionfish seem to keep to a small area and stay in groups. If you could come up with a way to collect them without getting stung and keep them alive for the trip back inshore, you could probably make a pretty good amount selling them to tropical fish stores.
When one of my regular customers came in the store today, I ran this idea by him. These lionfish seem to keep to a small area and stay in groups. If you could come up with a way to collect them without getting stung and keep them alive for the trip back inshore, you could probably make a pretty good amount selling them to tropical fish stores.
Rick, WOW, that is a prize-winning shot!!!
Gary, that is a great idea.
Gary, that is a great idea.
Divergirl4U
Contributor
are they shy like most fish ..... does it actually have to penitrate the skin to get posioned or can it transmit thru touch? What happens when you are stung, or what should you do?
Kim P
Question girl
Kim P
Question girl
Divergirl4u:are they shy like most fish ..... does it actually have to penitrate the skin to get posioned or can it transmit thru touch? What happens when you are stung, or what should you do?
Kim P
Question girl
No, they are not shy. I wrote in another thread that I was able to get fairly close to them and stroked one with the side of my polespear. The fish spread its fins wider as a warning and flinched just a little bit. That's why I think they would be easy to collect, if you can find one small enough to fit in a slurp gun and if you can keep from getting stung. If they die on the trip back in, no biggie. You've just taken a few specimens of an invasive species out of the environment and you could always go back for more.
As for their stings, I believe the mechanism is the same for lionfish, scorpionfish, and stonefish. The sting is a defensive mechanism to keep the fish from getting eaten, so you pretty much have to get a barb stuck in you.
From what I've read, the venom of the lionfish is not as bad as the scorpionfish and nowhere near as deadly as the stonefish. If you do get stung, you want to put the affected area in hot (not scalding) water for 15-20 minutes. This breaks down the protein chains the venom consists of and eases the pain of the sting.
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