Lionfish in Central America

[cdarroch]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up that we have confirmed lionfish sightings and captures as far Southwest as Panama... keep an eye out! These guys eat larval/juvenile stage fishes, and can apparently decimate an ecosystem singlefinnedly in a matter of weeks! They are highly venomous, however, and stings can produce extreme and lasting pain - so don't try removing them unless you know how to do so safely. Please DO, however, raise awareness by reporting any sightings to Project AWARE, Oceanic Defense, Beautiful Oceans, the operation with whom you're diving... anyone you can think of!
These fish are an invasive species from the South Pacific with no natural predators here in the Caribbean. For photos and more information, including safety, removal, and even cooking advice, you can check out http://www.lionfishhunter.com/Lionfish%20Hunter.html

[cdarroch]

As an afterthought... I wanted to mention that one of our recent OWD students really liked to play with the feather-duster worms (who didn't?:))... but that one didn't retract into its protective tube. I was able to stop him from actually touching the thing - and that led to our first lionfish sighting here in Panama. Extra vigilance really paid off in this case!

[ddeborahdelamar]

Please also report Lionfish sightings to REEF at Exotic Species Sighting Program | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) (http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic)

This information is shared with the U.S. Geological Survey and entered into its Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. These are the people who are most actively working on the Lionfish problem in the Atlantic and Caribbean. If you include your contact info in the REEF submission, the USGS may contact you with followup questions. Here are some of USGS's links:

NAS - Species FactSheet (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=963)
Nonindigenous Fish Distribution Information (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/lionfishdistribution.asp)
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/Lionfishanimation.gif (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/Lionfishanimation.gif)

Here is the only report filed from your area -- without final disposition on the fish:http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/specimenviewer.asp?SpecimenID=261555

While I'm sorry to hear that the species has reached the Bocas del Toro, I'm sure you have been expecting them. I hear that the islands are stunning and (personally) I'm considering taking a catamaran cruise there within the next year.

Remain vigilant and buen suerte,
Deb

[cappyjon431]

Please also report Lionfish sightings to REEF at Exotic Species Sighting Program | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) (http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic)

This information is shared with the U.S. Geological Survey and entered into its Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. These are the people who are most actively working on the Lionfish problem in the Atlantic and Caribbean. If you include your contact info in the REEF submission, the USGS may contact you with followup questions. Here are some of USGS's links:

NAS - Species FactSheet (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=963)
Nonindigenous Fish Distribution Information (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/lionfishdistribution.asp)
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/Lionfishanimation.gif (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/Lionfishanimation.gif)

Here is the only report filed from your area -- without final disposition on the fish:NAS - Species Search Page (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/specimenviewer.asp?SpecimenID=261555)

While I'm sorry to hear that the species has reached the Bocas del Toro, I'm sure you have been expecting them. I hear that the islands are stunning and (personally) I'm considering taking a catamaran cruise there within the next year.

Remain vigilant and buen suerte,
Deb

That above sighting to the USGS (with the picture) was of a lionfish spotted on Playground Reef about a half dozen times (I was the one who reported it to USGS and provided the crappy photo). One of our divemasters actually caught that specimen yesterday morning and gave him to researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station in Bocas.

[ddeborahdelamar]

Please send the additional info to Jacqueline N Langston, jlangston@usgs.gov, referencing Specimen ID 261555. Good work!

[cappyjon431]

Please send the additional info to Jacqueline N Langston, jlangston@usgs.gov, referencing Specimen ID 261555. Good work!

This is a photo of the captured lionfish. I have forwarded the info to the USGS on the disposition of the sighting.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/4017/thumbs/captured_lionfish.jpg (http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/128323)

[billeelou]

did they ever find the one in CR off Punta UVA?

[ddeborahdelamar]

There was one reported on 6 April -- no disposition. Not every lionfish sighting is reported to this database but you can follow those that are here (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/collectioninfo.asp?NoCache=6%2F4%2F2009+4%3A39%3A1 8+PM&SpeciesID=963&State=&County=&HUCNumber=)
(Hope the URL works -- it's a long one.) Look at listings for CR.

[cappyjon431]

We just spotted and captured another one today here in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We have reported it to NOAA, REEF, and the USGS. This makes 4 spotted and two captured in the last 5 weeks.