A Lionfish Predator?

[Zman96]

This was posted in an article on Cozumel4you. They haven't put the article on their website yet, just in the weekly email.

Could the Mutton Snapper Solve the Lionfish Problem?

Could the lowly Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus annals) be the answer to the lionfish invasion? Personnel from the National Marine Park of Cozumel are speculating that the Mutton Snapper has adapted to include lionfish in its diet. Recently, Marine Park employees captured video footage of a Mutton Snapper attacking and eating a live lionfish. The video was shot in 24 feet of water, on Chankanaab Reef. Divers in other areas, such as Roatan, have also documented incidents of Mutton Snappers, and even Groupers, eating lionfish. Lionfish are not indigenous to the Caribbean and up to now, have been considered a huge threat, because they have not had a natural predator to keep their voracious appetites in check. Mutton Snappers are a common site on the reefs of the Caribbean. Silver, with an olive colored, back and red sides, they are known to eat fish, shrimp, crabs and snails. Adults are generally solitary creatures, although they can occasionally be found in small schools.


Hopefully this will bold well for the reefs if it is true.

 

[Zman96]

I should have added, we had a number of snappers eat lionfish we had speared when I was there in March. A few groupers and a couple of snappers followed us throughout some dives waiting for a free meal, I had one snapper take a lionfish right off my spear before I could do anything with it.

 

[macado]

Could be interesting. I've definitely seen mutton snappers eat lionfish that had been speared and fed to then. It would be nice to know that they're attacking live ones.

Perhaps it will just take a while for them to consider lionfish as a source of food.

 

[Zman96]

YouTube - ‪Pargo lunar comiendo Pez León‬‏

This is a link to the video.

 

[jlyle]

 

[CozzieDive Laura]

Zman, thanks for the shout out! For the rest of you here's the link to the Cozumel 4 You newsletter with the article, video, etc.

As the chief minion at Cozumel 4 You, I was thrilled to post this story. Snappers and Groupers have been eating lionfish that have been hand fed to them for quite some time. These fish generally are injured or dead. The fact that the video captured a mutton snapper eating a healthy one of it's own accord, speaks wonders!

then again, I'm pretty excited about most of the positive things going on in Coz!

 

[Mike]

That is great to see. If you're a mutton snapper you have virtually a free buffet waiting you if you like lion fish. The little bastards just hang out hardly moving, seems like there's an easy meal just waiting for you!

(Hopefully, that snapper didn't end up floating belly up a few hours later)

 

[judydivescoz]

Zman, thanks for the shout out! For the rest of you here's the link to the Cozumel 4 You newsletter with the article, video, etc.

As the chief minion at Cozumel 4 You, I was thrilled to post this story. Snappers and Groupers have been eating lionfish that have been hand fed to them for quite some time. These fish generally are injured or dead. The fact that the video captured a mutton snapper eating a healthy one of it's own accord, speaks wonders!

then again, I'm pretty excited about most of the positive things going on in Coz!

Hi Laura...nice to see you posting. Happy that Zman posted the link to your newsletter, everyone who visits Cozumel should subscribe. Its full of great articles and info. Dog sitting and then just visiting in August, hope to see you then.

 

[geokr]

(Hopefully, that snapper didn't end up floating belly up a few hours later)

We'll never know if THAT snapper ever tried it again. While I would just love to see a worthy lionfish predator emerge I don't think it's going to happen on a permanent basis. Hand feeding, occasional attempts by other fish to get an easy meal are not going to reverse the eons of development of the natural defenses lionfish enjoy everywhere they exist. There are no natural predators of lionfish known to science - period. None, at least, that have any substantive effect their population one bit. To do so the predator would first have to be immune to the venom and also able to swallow and digest those spines without any injury. Unless you can get into the head of a fish after it consumes a lionfish you'll never be able to assess how distressed it is afterwards. My guess - no other fish will be able to feed on lionfish on a regular basis and survive. Would really like to think so but it ain't happening anywhere. Best option - stick 'em and bag 'em. You won't get them all but, within the park, a refuge for indigenous fish will exist that will offset somewhat the eradication that's occuring outside of the park. The only control there will be out there then is when the indigenous fish population is reduced to the point where the lionfish are controlled by the reduced availability of food. That's a big loss of indigenous species variety and density, all replaced by lionfish. It's nature's way. It works but to the detriment of everything else. Save the park - kill a lionfish, take 'em home. Very nice with butter and lemon. Don't feed them to other fish - you can't train them to be predators better than Mother Nature can and you're probably hurting them as well by doing something that just ain't natural.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

I still think the best way to eliminate them is to spread a rumor that lion fish are fishy viagra....