Lionfish Awareness and Elimination

[cooperscuba]

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[Hank49]

I first started seeing lionfish on the local reefs in 2005. I reported it to the Bahamian Government and the other local dive ops, along with pictures. Scientists report the first sightings in our area to 2006, which means to me that they weren't paying attention.

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Thanks for all the information. This is what is needed. Real observations by people in the water in the infested...??.... areas.
What are you observing in regards to other reef fish species and population densities where lionfish are now in residence?

 

[Guba]

(mostly to Fred)

Has anyone you know of (in your area) performed empiracle experimentation on the hypothesis that the larval stages might reside in sargassum? The reason I ask is I seem to recall experiments in which floating masses of sargassum were moored using floating netting and buoys, and scientists monitored the mass visually. The intent of that experiment had nothing to do with LF, but I'm thinking the same technique could be used to investigate your hypothesis.

Also, would you happen to know if many REEF surveys are conducted in your area? Or, could you provide the approximate locations for most of your observations so that I could look at their database and see if they might have survey info concerning population densities and such.

Thank you very much for all the work you do in making these observations and for taking the time to share them with us here. Hopefully, one of these days I'll make it to Bahamian waters, and I think I would really like sharing a few dives and the opportunity to pick your brain a bit. Keep up the field work!

 

[DeepSeaOne]

GPS didn't become effective until May 1, 2000, when President Clinton turned off GPS Selective Availability, making a GPS accurate to a few feet, from the pre shut off 300 feet. You're right though, GPS did aid in putting fishermen over the same reef with great accuracy, causing a decline in reproductive size reef fish. The problem I see is the lionfish filling this niche. If juveniles of these fish species are consumed at greater rates by an ever growing population of lionfish, while fishermen consume an ever growing number of the reproductive size fish, common sense dictates that sooner, rather than later, these species become endangered, at best.

SA really had a minimal effect before 2000, particularly to some of the higher end units that could average the signal. I had a middle of the road GPS purchased in 93 that I coupled with a radar unit. It would park me exactly on a particular spot around 50% of the time. The other 50% it would get me close enough that a small outward spiraling circle would get me there within a minute or two. Coupled with a good bottom charter even the old units were accurate enough to find anything on the bottom.

Radar was just as deadly. I could park my radar curser on a charter fishing boat 10 miles away and mark his exact location with the coupled GPS. The "secret" spots weren't secret any more. I used that technology to dive but I could easily see how those that fished with it increased their odds of a big catch 100-fold.

 

[jupitermermaid]

Two less lion fish to propagate.

 

[lmorin]

Fred--thanks for your rational input. For what it is worth, I saw a 15-25 mm lionfish at CoCo View in Roatan last summer. It was just barely above the sand next to a coral head on the slope of the Front Yard and was almost completely transparent. Tips of fins were darker and gave it away, but very difficult to see against the sand.

 

[CuracaoJ]

For what it's worth... In the last couple of months here on Curacao, I have probably seen a dozen or so LF less than 1.5" in length on my dives. Every time I've spotted them it's been on the way back in from the reef heading towards the beach, in say less than 10M of water. I haven't seen any smaller than maybe 3" on the reef itself at say 15M and lower.

This guy was in the 2" range, in about 10-12M last week. I'll try and get some macro shots with a point of reference next time I see a wee one.

 

[Karel]

Ok,
we have Lion fish at Curacao :
The course : This is a Lion fish (show picture) if not available, check internet.
They should not be here (tell why: they kill all other fish)
Show catching techniques (Spear, net, whatever, emphasise on not damaging other fish/environment)
Any questions?

We kill them, for free. We call them lunch or diner (they are to complicated for breakfast) recepis : check internet.

 

[CuracaoJ]

Apparently in about two weeks volunteers will be able to go register at LVV, and get their new spear guns to use for Lion Fish here in Curacao. Also, about another 50 of them are going to be distributed to the Navy Divers on the island.

 

[NCBusguy]

I was surprised to see a Lionfish while diving the Vandenberg yesterday. Would have it been legal to spear it there?