What is Animal Planet Thinking? Why a lionfish?

[Lorenzoid]

I have a beautiful framed print of a lionfish hanging on my bedroom wall--bought as a souvenir when I visited Fiji some years ago and saw a lionfish for the first time. What an exotic-looking fish, I thought! In recent years, though, I have seen so many in the Caribbean that the print hanging on the wall has become a big joke in my house. I have been tempted to paint a target symbol on it.

 

[bluejaykaren]

It is the perfect fish for that promotion. They are much hardier in a tank than most tropical salt fish. I would have been upset if they had offered to give away delicate fish, like butterfly fish, to novice tank owners who would have been doomed. One less in the ocean.

 

[mermaid0sea]

You know this was first post to see whether anyone thought it was interesting choice... I can't help but think i just look like an uninformed, ignorant, unenlightened Yahoo. I will sink away now in disgrace. Lionfish rule!

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[kelemvor]

Pascal made a nice painting of some lionfish. Also, I've heard they're tasty if you are into eating fish. Personally, if it doesn't moo or oink it's not going to be my first choice.

 

[Quero]

You know this was first post to see whether anyone thought it was interesting choice... I can't help but think i just look like an uninformed, ignorant, unenlightened Yahoo. I will sink away now in disgrace. Lionfish rule!

Sent from my LG-MS770 using Tapatalk 4

No need for slinking. It's okay. Just start a new thread about something else and let us get to know you better in other circumstances! Anyway, by now even if you were unenlightened, you are now a recovering yahoo! (And please accept my apologies for my part in making you feel that way... for some of us who have dived with lionfish in their native range, blinkered negative reactions to anything at all to do with them is a cousin to knee-jerk fear of sharks by non-divers, and we react in a similar manner.)

 

[bluejaykaren]

I completely understand what you where thinking. I live in Florida and I don't look at the guys the same way either since "The Invasion".

 

[Rusty Roo]

quick question. are lionfish legal to buy as pets in florida?

 

[AfterDark]

They are for sale here: http://www.thepetstop.com/fish-shop/lion-fish-for-sale.html

They are not listed here: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_state.php?s=fl

So looks like yes they are.

 

[Steve_C]

Given that lionfish are here (East coast of US and Carib) one can argue that making them the in Aquarium fish again and forbidding import to US would result in a net loss of lionfish in the ocean.

In time stuff will learn both to eat them and how to eat them.