Lionfish ????

[archman]

I know an ROV operator that frequently participates in east coast fish surveys. He's been seeing lionfish heading southerly from the North Carolina coast. A common theory is that the things are backtracking the Gulf Stream into warmer waters.

Lionfish are a pretty serious ecological threat. If you spot just one or two, it's likely they're not yet in a breeding population. Kill them asap. Not being native species, they do not fall under most fishery regulations.

Spearing's prohibited while on SCUBA in the Bahamas, of course. Maybe a freediver could nail this sucker?

Dang, I didn't think lionfish had made it so far south.

 

[DandyDon]

Do not try this yourself...! :11:

Kill them asap.

The spines carry some painful venom, and while maybe not deadly themselves, it would be dangerous to get stuck while diving.

 

[archman]

They're not so bad with a spear. Just push them off the tip with some rock or a flipper, and let the scavengers take care of the body. You don't need to bag it or bring it to the surface.

You can also catch them in a hand net, and then shoot them inside the net. Use the speargun afterwards to get them out of the net, if they're entangled.

 

[gr8fuldiverNC]

I know something about this. I worked in NC, and my bosses gf is running the lionfish project for NOAA. One theory is that they worked their way north after an aquarium in FLA lost several during hurricane a few years back. Another is that they were released by hobbyists when the grew too large and ate everything else in the tank (Ive had this experience myself, but we killed the lionfish rather than releasing it). In any case they current range from fla to nj, and seem to have started south and moved north, and there is no question that they are breeding, ive seen many juveniles from less than 2 inches to adults of 8+. In NC they are rarely seen shallower than 120 feet, but are very common int the 120-150+ foot range ( i havent been deeper than that, but i assume they are). I have literally seen 20 or more individuals on a small wreck. This could be why they arent seen as often in florida, where dives are often shallower, but commonly seen NC and north, where these depths are the norm.

Killing a few individuals is not likely to make a difference, they are well established off the coast. NOAA is talking about whether to start an eradication program, but its probably too little too late. Last summer they went out to get some specimens, hoping to get 30 in a weeks time. Two days of diving netted over 80 individuals, they must've slacking, cause they surely could have collected more than that.

Funny thing, they were first sighted over five years ago by local divers who reported it to NOAA. The scientists scoffed, putting it down to narcosis (this was an extremely talented diver who should have been listened to), and refused to believe it until a diver took a photograph later that year. This was over 5 years ago, and they are just now looking into it. When will scientists learn to listen to local wisdom and knowledge, rather than writing off fisherman and divers as uneducated with no useful info?

To DandyDon, I met a aquarist who has had some success breeding volitans, but now just comes to NC and collects juvies....

This is the first Ive heard of them in Belize tho.

 

[DandyDon]

This is the first Ive heard of them in Belize tho.

I believe he said Bahamas...? There are a lot of "Blue Holes." Even San Antonio TX has one, the origin of the river there.

And I wonder if you see them only at depth off of NC is because that's where the wrecks are. No shallow reefs for them to live on there, as off of Florida.

 

[spstar]

Are you doing a trip report on the Aqua Cat?

Just got my photos back today and had to go to work But yes I will be Posting

 

[padiscubapro]

I know something about this. I worked in NC, and my bosses gf is running the lionfish project for NOAA. One theory is that they worked their way north after an aquarium in FLA lost several during hurricane a few years back. Another is that they were released by hobbyists when the grew too large and ate everything else in the tank (Ive had this experience myself, but we killed the lionfish rather than releasing it). In any case they current range from fla to nj, and seem to have started south and moved north, and there is no question that they are breeding, ive seen many juveniles from less than 2 inches to adults of 8+. In NC they are rarely seen shallower than 120 feet, but are very common int the 120-150+ foot range ( i havent been deeper than that, but i assume they are). I have literally seen 20 or more individuals on a small wreck. This could be why they arent seen as often in florida, where dives are often shallower, but commonly seen NC and north, where these depths are the norm.

Killing a few individuals is not likely to make a difference, they are well established off the coast. NOAA is talking about whether to start an eradication program, but its probably too little too late. Last summer they went out to get some specimens, hoping to get 30 in a weeks time. Two days of diving netted over 80 individuals, they must've slacking, cause they surely could have collected more than that.

Funny thing, they were first sighted over five years ago by local divers who reported it to NOAA. The scientists scoffed, putting it down to narcosis (this was an extremely talented diver who should have been listened to), and refused to believe it until a diver took a photograph later that year. This was over 5 years ago, and they are just now looking into it. When will scientists learn to listen to local wisdom and knowledge, rather than writing off fisherman and divers as uneducated with no useful info?

To DandyDon, I met a aquarist who has had some success breeding volitans, but now just comes to NC and collects juvies....

This is the first Ive heard of them in Belize tho.

There is definately a healthy breeding population.. A diver off NY 3 or 4 years ago spotted the fist lionfish up here (well offshore), and I have heard of a few sightings since then..
We get alot of tropicals (mainly juevinilles) in the late summer.

 

[archman]

Yes, they're healthy up in NC. Where sightings are rare, it's more likely that a breeding population isn't established, and killing the little suckers on sight is effective. This is a valid tactic for all invasive species, used with much success worldwide.

Ergo, somebody get that lionfish off the Exumas!

 

[ranger]

We see them offshore Charleston SC regularly. We've seen adults and juveniles, so that means they're breeding. Sometimes we even see several together. They're cool to see but with no enemies here will certainly in time damage the local fish population.

 

[DandyDon]

I wonder if they have any natural enemies in their home water? They don't seem to act like they're afraid of anything, they just lower their heads to stick their spines forward. The big problems will be that their prey won't have instincts about avoiding them, and larger fish may not know better than to swallow on. :11:

It certainly couldn't hurt to kill as many as possible. New sport with some benefits...?