Article: Dive dry with dr. Bill #529: The new king of the reef

[drbill]

You can view the page at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/content.php?r=575-Dive-dry-with-dr-Bill-529-The-new-king-of-the-reef

 

[chile7236]

Interesting read...I didn't know they could lay 2 million eggs a year. They are frequently spotted here in Okinawa but I don't see them on every dive, which really surprises me after reading about the egg production. Thanks for the info, Dr.Bill.

 

[lcollar]

One of the first things I do after logging onto ScubaBoard is look for your most recent article. Almost as much fun as speaking with you in person. Having done so once more, I learned something from your newest contribution and got a chuckle or two in the process. Thanks for sharing your adventures and please continue.

 

[jaeckert]

Hi Dr. Bill,
Because the problem seems to stem from a lack of a natural predator in the Atlantic/Caribbean; what are the thoughts of the scientific community concerning the introduction of one? I am guessing there is probably a potential "snowballing" effect of controlling the predator that controls the predator. What are the lionfish's natural predators in it's home waters?

Thanks for a great article!

 

[drbill]

Generally not recommended to introduce a new predator to deal with the invasive species... the new predator often becomes a worse problem.

 

[b-dog]

Generally not recommended to introduce a new predator to deal with the invasive species... the new predator often becomes a worse problem.

I don't think there is a specific predator for lionfish, I think that the fish in the Indo-pacific have evolved to recognize them as predators. Food scarcity is most likely what keeps lionfish populations in check in the Indo-pacific. The fish in the Caribbean will quickly evolve to recognize lionfish as predators because the fish have huge broods of offspring and those that survive lionfish predation will likely transfer their beneficial traits on to the next generation. With large numbers of offspring, evolution happens rapidly.

 

[dmyers]

I am currently stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and dive here every week. The lion fish has indeed made a big appearance here. So much that the local dive clubs have a Lion Fish Round-Up every month to keep them under control.

As far as the lion fish not having a natural predator in these waters, that is not true. We have seen Green Moray Eels on numerous occasions attack, kill and eat the lion fish. I was about to spear a lion fish a couple of weeks ago and an eel came out and grabbed my prize before I could release my Hawaiian Sling.

 

[b-dog]

I am currently stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and dive here every week. The lion fish has indeed made a big appearance here. So much that the local dive clubs have a Lion Fish Round-Up every month to keep them under control.

As far as the lion fish not having a natural predator in these waters, that is not true. We have seen Green Moray Eels on numerous occasions attack, kill and eat the lion fish.

If that is true then wouldn't hunting lionfish be counterproductive? If lionfish are left alone and then they become numerous then wouldn't the moray eels have a large supply of food? The the eels would become numerous and the lionfish population reduced. This would allow for a natural balance to occur instead of an artificial one imposed by man.

 

[dmyers]

If that is true then wouldn't hunting lionfish be counterproductive? If lionfish are left alone and then they become numerous then wouldn't the moray eels have a large supply of food? The the eels would become numerous and the lionfish population reduced. This would allow for a natural balance to occur instead of an artificial one imposed by man.

There are far more lion fish than the eels could eat. We go diving with a group and kill 30 to 40 in an area no more than the size of a couple of football fields. We generally only see the same five or six eels along the entire area surrounding the base. You are talking ratio's of 1000's to 1.

 

[b-dog]

There are far more lion fish than the eels could eat. We go diving with a group and kill 30 to 40 in an area no more than the size of a couple of football fields. We generally only see the same five or six eels along the entire area surrounding the base. You are talking ratio's of 1000's to 1.

That was what I thought. I don't think lionfish will really get a predator to reduce their numbers as much as I think that fish will adapt to avoid lionfish and recognize them as predators. I think the lionfish numbers will always be high though because the native predators have been overfished and lionfish are just filling the void.