Lionfish in the Caribbean

[cappyjon431]

I just confirmed a sighting off of Bastimentos Island in Bocas del Toro, Panama. one of my divemasters described a fish he had never seen before and it sounded a lot like a lionfish. I went to the site this morning and there it was, a juvenile about 2-3 inches. Unfortunately I was unable to catch/kill it, but i will definitely be taking it out next time I dive that site.

I was unaware that these critters had made it this far south in the Caribbean. Is there anyone out there collecting data on distribution so I can report the sighting?

 

[bleeb]

Places to report Carribean lionfish sightings:
NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's Lionfish Outreach Program (near the bottom)
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation's Lionfish Research Program (near the top)

 

[ScubaRafiki]

Today a lionfish was caught just off the coast by Punta Gorda, Roatan. Apparently thiss is the first confirmed sighting in Honduras. It was inside the reef and about 20ft deep. The fish was given to the Roatan Marine Park, still alive. Unfortunately it was big - about 8 to 9 inches from the mouth to the base of the tail, which means it has been here for a while. If you are on Facebook you can see images of this fish through the Subway Watersports pages. I'm a techno idiot and can't figure out how to upload them on to Scubaboard - sorry!

I was in Grand Cayman a few months ago and assisted with the removal of several Lionfish. The one in Roatan was removed in a large clear drybag and a stick - we put the opening to the drybag next to it and gently poked it's bottom (or tail if you want to be anatomically accurate) with a long stick. It didn't take much for it to move into the bag. We then ascended very slowly so as not to mess up it's swim bladder.

I have reported this with REEF - they have done tonnes of research already on this. Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) | Diving That Counts.

 

[cappyjon431]

I believe this is the first confirmed photo of a lionfish in Panamanian waters on the Caribbean side. It is definitely the first spotted in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/128025

 

[Blackbeardsintern09]

I went diving in the Bahamas for the first time last week, and saw probably two dozen lionfish over the course of five dives. They are getting to be quite pervasive in the Bahamas, and threaten the health of reef fish ecosystems. The company I am working for this summer, Blackbeard's Cruises, in Freeport, Bahamas, conducts lionfish eradication events during some of their cruises, and will charter their sailboats to groups interested in such a project. If you are interested in lionfish removal in the Bahamas, please contact ws@blackbeard-cruises.com!

 

[cappyjon431]

I went diving in the Bahamas for the first time last week, and saw probably two dozen lionfish over the course of five dives. They are getting to be quite pervasive in the Bahamas, and threaten the health of reef fish ecosystems. The company I am working for this summer, Blackbeard's Cruises, in Freeport, Bahamas, conducts lionfish eradication events during some of their cruises, and will charter their sailboats to groups interested in such a project. If you are interested in lionfish removal in the Bahamas, please contact ws@blackbeard-cruises.com!

While eradication events sound like fun and might make a small dent in the lionfish population, the truth is there is very little that can actually be done to "eradicate" these pests. Lionfish lay 30,000 eggs at one time and go through the process multiple times per year. Even more distressing, lionfish are found in waters from 1-300 feet deep. Unless you have divers going into the shallows and beyond the range of recreational diving limits, there will still be plenty of these critters around to continue to breed.

One similar option (while not a solution but a way to keep numbers in check) is to develop a fishery for their meat. They grow to 18 inches and their meat tastes like a cross between grouper and chicken. In our area, grouper and snapper have been severely overfished by the indiginous Indians so lionfish could potentially fill the void. The important thing is to educate the indiginous population on proper handling/preparation so that they are not stung in the process.

 

[Ketos]

So last week we were diving the Hebe off of Georgetown South Carolina and there were at least 2 dozen lionfish. The site is in 100-110 ft of water and this spot is known for lionfish. I dive there quite often but i have never seen that many.

 

[cappyjon431]

We just spotted and captured another one today here in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We have reported it to NOAA, REEF, and the USGS. This makes 4 spotted and two captured in the last 5 weeks. This one was donated alive to the Smithsonian's Bocas del Toro Tropical Research Station.

 

[JazzyDiver]

I live in Guantanamo Bay Cuba and I see them DAILY. They are starting to be a big problem here. You'll see at least one a dive, possibly more. Usually Ill just see one by itself, but Ive been starting to see them in pairs, is that normal for them? Do they live in pairs or solo? Most divers on the base know what they look like and we shoot them with our spear guns, some even try to stab them with their knives. But they are here and aparently they have been here for quite a few years.

 

[VivaCaribe]

RE Lion fish in pairs near Gitmo... I have not seen anything published on this, but definitely noticed that most of them were in pairs in a niche on the reef wall at San Salvador, Bahamas. Wonder why... are they mated pairs?

As for their being in Cuba for years... not too many years. They just reached that area recently. Now spreading south and presumably will soon reach the S. and E. Caribbean.