Exotics Invade

[archman]

They're moving steadily deeper into the greater Caribbean. I have no doubt that within a few years we'll have reports of them within the Caribbean basin proper.

As well as into the Gulf of Mexico. It'll be a strange day indeed when they make it all the way out to the Flower Gardens.:11:

As to the species they appear to be competing with/displacing, some thinking is leaning towards the groupers. After all, grouper are one of their natural competitors in the Pacific.

With the person doing the North Carolina monitoring study, I believe that is her PhD project. Her website may be down if she's deep into her work. Doctoral students don't normally have time to goof around during their final couple of years.

 

[drbill]

Oops, I viewed this thread thinking you were talking about erotics... which I would love to see invade Catalina waters. But you're talking about exotics and we have plenty of those already!

 

[Orlando Eric]

Dr Bill you are certainley "Goal Focused."

As to LionFish if they are competing with grouper I say Spear em. Grouper is tasty, Lion Fish Icky!

If everyone carried a short Pole Spear and did their share. For those NaySayers who say there are already too many here to do anything about it.. Well I will keep my Politcal/ Historical Metaphors to myself.

 

[archman]

As to LionFish if they are competing with grouper I say Spear em. Grouper is tasty, Lion Fish Icky!

If everyone carried a short Pole Spear and did their share. For those NaySayers who say there are already too many here to do anything about it.. Well I will keep my Politcal/ Historical Metaphors to myself.

I love you, man.:2ar15smil

Kill the lionfish!

 

[100days-a-year]

a $bounty on them?I could make a living in Jax on them.

 

[RickI]

From what I have heard, they have been seen as far north as Long Island*. The article says they will die off once the temperature drops far enough. Well, we can hope but they will apparently repopulate? They seem to be along the east coast of Florida, Bermuda, moving well down the Bahamas and into Turks and Caicos, may not be in the Caymans yet, not sure if they are in the Antilles or not. Don't know why they wouldn't be though. Has anyone heard of sightings down in the Caribbean?


*Divers have reported capturing hundreds of venomous lionfish swimming in the seas off New York's Long Island this summer, providing evidence to suggest that the non-native fish has been breeding in the area.
Lionfish population explosion off New York | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

 

[Hank49]

I haven't seen any here. I've heard they're good eating though. Cleaning them could be tricky.

 

[agilis]

These Lionfish are well established all along the east coast, at least to New York. We see many here in NJ, mostly small juveniles, which suggests a large breeding population further south. Lionfish are not strong swimmers, so, hopefully, they will not extend their range south of Florida. The extension of their range north from Florida is almost certainly due to the north-flowing Gulf Stream. I am certain they got their start as released pets dumped into warm Florida waters by ignorant aquarists. It's probably too late to do anything, but they should be killed whenever possible. The juveniles that drift north are not the problem. They die when water temps drop. The breeding populations that have established themselves on both sides of the Gulf stream will almost certainly have a negative impact on the marine ecosystems of Florida and the Bahamas.

 

[RickI]

Here's a question, how should you go about spearing a lionfish? Do you leave it in the water or do you take it on the boat? If you take it on the boat, how should you handle it, store it, dispose of it. I was thinking of the odd well intended diver accidentally poisoning themselves or others. Letting it drift off underwater solves some problems as long as you get it off your spear without incident. It's a simple question but perhaps an important one.

 

[Hank49]

Stone him, leave him on the spear, take it to the boat and use a shears (and heavy rubber gloves) to cut off all the pectoral, anal and dorsal spines...and fillet him.