lionfish in Cozumel

[cruiser]

My favorite theory is that a large commercial aquarium in Nassau was cycling seawater in and out of their exhibit without using filters. Lionfish eggs from the aquarium were flushed into the ocean where they proceeded to hatch and multiply.

 

[DandyDon]

My favorite theory is that a large commercial aquarium in Nassau was cycling seawater in and out of their exhibit without using filters. Lionfish eggs from the aquarium were flushed into the ocean where they proceeded to hatch and multiply.

I've heard that one. Don't know if it's true.

Some aquarium fish grow so much that they overcrowd home tanks and careless owners "set them free." Pacus and Oscars are occasionally found in fresh water (I photographed a pair of Pacus in Santa Rosa NM's Blue Hole once) and some exotics have found in the Florida Keys, supposedly from such sources.

When I dived the Texas Flower Gardens once, we had a marine biologist or a good facsimile onboard. I saw a black trigger asked him if that could be an O.niger so far from its Indo-Pacific area, and he confirmed that such are found there now - presumably from the bilge water theory.

 

[ScubaSteve]

 

[TechBlue]

Hell, I once trained an aquarium snail to beg - jeeze.

What a full and wholesome life you lead DD

 

[TechBlue]

BTW, all ships have ballast water, while I am not the biggest fan of cruise ships either, it's a bit myopic to place the blame solely on them.

In that case we should just sink them all :shocked2:

 

[ONESPEED]

In that case we should just sink them all :shocked2:

Give them to Sea Shepherd, they're pretty good at sinking stuff.

 

[robint]

So they are sucking up lionfish eggs in Florida "ports" where no lionfish have yet been spotted and in a state that is only now seeing a lionfish problem? I can't even begin to tell you how many things are wrong with that theory. NEWSFLASH: the problem in Coz is currently significantly worse than the problem in Florida. Yes, Florida is at fault for the spread of Indonesian lionfish.:headscratch:

:caveman:

no no no...... I was just trying to convey one possible way they are spreading south throughout the Caribbean. Some people had asked about how could they swim from SE coastline. I think the gulfstream is probably responsible for moving the species up and down the East coast of US, but no one knows for sure where it started. The first reports I remember were off the coast of NC on the wrecks. Not long after that I read about them in Fla coast and northern Bahamas. Don't know if that is correct or not, it is just what I remember from maybe 7-8 yrs ago.

and yes, I realize all ships have the possibility of spreading them and that they don't dump in port but at sea a certain number of miles off the coast. I was just trying to discuss on one species of fish/creature gets from one area to another inadvertently. This is how many species of critters have been attributed to moving to new areas.

Getting back to lionfish hunting by tourists in Coz.... I still hate the idea. I want people going to dive in Cozumel to enjoy diving, enjoy the other fishlife, not to zero in on how many of one species of fish they can kill. There are too many GREAT things about Coz diving which would be totally missed by these "kill" trips. My biggest concern is that the newer divers, most of the people visiting Cozumel, would get involved when they really shouldn't be. Just my 2 cents.

robin

 

[mike_s]

Lionfish Eradication weapons

1. Speargun

2. Hawaiian Sling

3. Hand net and/or wet bag. (this is not recommended cos it doesnt cause enough pain!

4. Machine gun. Really effective in close quaters

5. Nukes if spotted outside of marine parks

6. By hand. Note this is really extreme way to hunt Lionfish because of the spikes. I have only heard that Igor from Russian thundras have managed to pull this off.

All weapon should lead to same result!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Where's the fork?

 

[crowleyW]

Yeah, forks are missing!