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The Lionfish, a native of the South Pacific, has invaded the East Coast of the U.S. starting sometime in the late 90’s. These fish are best known for their striking beauty and have made attractive aquarium pets for many years. Just two years ago it was extremely difficult and rare to find (actually see) a Lionfish in the freeport area. They were there but rarely seen. Today, they are literally everywhere. The reefs are crawling with them and even snorkeling out from shore, rocks and barrels all have resident Lionfish. You don’t dare just blindly stick your head or hand in a cave anymore because, with their habit of hanging upside down, the ceiling may be covered by hovering Lions. |
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I was allowed to accompany one such effort during an open water dive at 100 feet. We spent the majority of the dive on a single coral head which had Lions in and under every overhang and crevice. It seems a shame to sacrifice these animals this way, but it is estimated by some experts that they actually can reduce the population of major reef fish by as much as 75 - 80 percent. In their normal habitat they are not so bad as they are binge feeders and don’t eat constantly. Unfortunately, in the Bahamas with it’s rich supply of food, they have turned into voracious eaters and are actually growing to double the normal size of their breed. They are also prodigious breeders and their reproductive maturity is determined by size rather than age, so they are tending to reach breeding age in as little as six months. |
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Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much hope that the culling is going to be able to keep up with the reproductive rate. The good news is that some large groupers and sharks may be starting to develope a taste for these spiney little critters. Also, and this may be the best, the meat is apparently quite tasty and is starting to appear on a few restaurant menus. |
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