lionfish in Cozumel

[robint]

Hi Robin;
If I understand your post correctly, you are saying that the more lion fish are killed, the deeper the survivors go to hide from the hunters. Am I correct?

b

no, actually I may not have been clear about what our DM told us.
He says that last year they were seeing the smaller lionfish primarily and those were in normal diving depths. Now they are seeing full grown adults, all in deeper depths. So I don't think they are necessarily hiding from everyone, but in deeper depths and the more remote dive sites and those places where there are no divers, the lionfish are breeding freely. Someone reported a few weeks ago spotting over a dozen lionfish at Maricaibo and another person posted that their DM killed over a dozen up north at Barracuda/San Juan reefs. Those places we can't control - we need to find a fish that will do it for us!

oh, and for those wanting to place some blame as to the spread... most logical conclusion I have read is the cruise ships which dock in Fla are sucking the eggs up in their ballasts and then dumping them along the trip, in ports all over the Caribbean.

robin

 

[tedgarner]

oh, and for those wanting to place some blame as to the spread... most logical conclusion I have read is the cruise ships which dock in Fla are sucking the eggs up in their ballasts and then dumping them along the trip, in ports all over the Caribbean.


I Like the placing of blame on the cruise ships I don't much like them anyway and it gives me another reason to dislike them, even though I don't anyone could prove it.

 

[ONESPEED]

oh, and for those wanting to place some blame as to the spread... most logical conclusion I have read is the cruise ships which dock in Fla are sucking the eggs up in their ballasts and then dumping them along the trip, in ports all over the Caribbean.

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:

 

[tedgarner]

Great thanks a lot, cloud the whole thing with facts.

Now I have to find another reason to dislike cruise ships.

 

[ONESPEED]

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.

 

[ONESPEED]

Great thanks a lot, cloud the whole thing with facts.

Since when are completely ridiculous theories that aren't remotely possible "facts"? Because they fit a scenario that gives you warm fuzzies? Wow....just wow.

 

[ONESPEED]

no, actually I may not have been clear about what our DM told us.

And lastly, basing your views of a serious problem on "what a DM told you" are a recipe for misinformation. Nothing against DM's, but I'll refer to marine biologists for my theories regarding this invasive fish that must be dealt with.

 

[Jax]

TCPalm, Divers: Look out for Lionfish April 9, 2010
Divers: Look out for lionfish TCPalm.com

Clark, Cammy. Invasion of venomous lionfish menaces the Keys. The Miami Herald. 08 Feb 10
Fishing : Fishing News and Photos - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Aquatic Invasions (2010), Vol 5, Iss 2 Non-native, invasive Red lionfish 29 Jan 2010
http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2010/AI_2010_5_2_Aguilar-Perera_Tuz-Sulub_correctedproof.pdf

Smithsonian article on "Invasion of the Lionfish" May 8 2009
Invasion of the Lionfish | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine

CBS News "To Catch a Lionfish" Aug 25 2009
To Catch a Lionfish - Couric & Co. - CBS News

Lionfish Population Has Scientists Worried. AP. 03 Aug 2008. 3:03
YouTube - Lionfish Population Has Scientists Worried

How to prepare Lionfish (video)
Lionfish Hunters assure us that lionfish tastes just like chicken

Florida Museum of Natural History - Ichthyology
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department: Red Lionfish

Times Online "Lionfish devastate Florida's native shoals" Oct 20 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4974396.ece

USGS Fact Sheet: "Pterois volitans / miles . . . lionfish" Sep 2009+
NAS - Species FactSheet

Animated Historical distribution map

 

[jd950]

My understanding is that although cruise ships use ballast water they don't discharge it in ports of call as they travel around, so that is an unlikely contributor to the lionfish situation. I think I have also read that there is no correlation between cruise ship routes and lionfish distribution.

I'd love to blame cruise ships, but I don't think it will work. Beyond that, who cares anymore where they came from. They are here and having a good time. They aren't going to leave.

 

[firstdive2005]

I think it's the taliban that did it!