Mutton snapper circle/eat an uninjured lionfish

[KSUDiver]

Hello everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster!

A little while back there was a video going around that showed a grouper stalking and eating a lionfish. Seemed pretty popular so I thought y'all might like this one, too. On one of my dives in Coz last week the DM found a small LF and nudged it off the reef (note: I did not see that part myself, but everyone else on the boat confirmed that is how it started) at which point two mutton snapper saw it and started circling. After toying with it for a while one of them finally goes in for a snack!

I thought this was pretty freaking awesome since the LF wasn't injured in any way. I also think it's interesting how the one that finally takes it appears to nudge it into a better position right before chowing down.

Anyway, enjoy, I'd love to hear feedback, and feel free to share! It's a little Blair Witchy at the beginning but I settle down with the camera after a few seconds. I only wish youtube wouldn't lose so much of the HD quality. Oh well! Here's the link to the video:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CyoC0Rj14N0

 

[diverokc]

On one of my dives in Coz last week the DM found a small LF and nudged it off the reef

The problem I see is they wont eat them off the reef. From the videos I have seen they wait its positioned right and then eat it so they don't get stung.
My thoughts are they cant eat them off the reefs because of how the lionfish position themselves. Being injured or not I don't think it matters. Its whether or not they can get behind it or whatever.

Has anyone ever seen anything eat a lionfish off a reef?

 

[Jax]

Given the lionfish's defense, I can image that it has to be chased off the reef.

 

[KSUDiver]

Yeah, I would have loved it if the snapper hadn't gotten an assist, but it was still cool to see. I'd like to think the fact that the snapper repositioned the LF itself was a good sign of progress being made with regards to other predators learning to go after lionfish, but eh, I'm probably putting too much stock in the learning capabilities of fish.

Never seen anything besides a human take one directly off a reef.

 

[Zman96]

I am sure they are use to seeing them floating and injured before eating them. I wish too that some of the predators would eat them off of the reef. Still good to see them stalking the prey.

 

[sharky60]

last year I had a mutton snapper following me around on almost every dive on the southern reefs .. obviously looking for a handout.

I think this thought that lionfish have no natural predators is a misnomer at best. SOMETHING has to eat them in the Pacific, or they would be totally out of hand there as well, so it only seems natural that eventually fish in the Atlantic & Caribbean would eventually get a taste for them.