Orbicular Batfish..........kill it or leave in peace.

[Chugwhump]

Greetings,

Orbicular batfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So I know where one if these is off Broward County.

Pacific species.

My pal says leave it in peace. It will just get old and die.

REEF has nothing bad to say about it, other than they hang with Atlantic Spadefish.

The one I know of does this very thing.


While I am an assassin of the first magnitude as it relates to Lions, I prefer not to kill anything that I will not eat, or can find someone to eat.


So I ask the peanut gallery.......
Leave it be........ or waste it?

Chug
Does not really wanna' kill it.

 

[tstormdiver]

What damage could it do? Could find no reference to that. I know that lionfish can decimate a reef, but wheat do these fish do? If they cause no damage, leave them, if they are detrimental, then "cull the heard".

 

[Chugwhump]

What damage could it do?
Could find no reference to that.
I know that lionfish can decimate a reef, but what do these fish do?
If they cause no damage, leave them, if they are detrimental, then "cull the herd".

I agree totally TS.
My pal is a serious salt tank enthusiast, and he said it is "0-sum" loss/gain issue.

He also is prone to chasing off the Hogfish and Snapper of legal size we see while diving together.

Chug
Our nickname for him is.......
"The Incredible Mr. Limpet"

 

[MrChen]

What if it was to cross breed with a similar species? Are there any compatible fish it could cross breed with? If so, then I'd kill it.

 

[uncfnp]

From the peanut gallery, leave it be...

 

[Doubler]

Are you sure it is not a juvenile phase of a Spade fish?

 

[SeaHawk12]

As far as I know, no studies have look at its impact on the reef. I'll take a look later today and see if I can find anything, but I'd say let it chill with its buds for now.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

What damage could it do? Could find no reference to that. I know that lionfish can decimate a reef, but wheat do these fish do? If they cause no damage, leave them, if they are detrimental, then "cull the heard".

Same attitude that caused the LF invasion. Back then the thinking was to leave it be.. see what happens..
I am mixed on the kill/let it be.
Most likely it's an aquarium release, probably won't last long. Maybe find a new owner for it? Remove alive?

 

[letterboy]

Agreed jenny, leaving them be is what caused the LF invasion and is causing the other invasive snakes to take hold down here.

If it doesn't belong, kill it.

 

[reefman]

I was involved with the 2000 and the 2004 captures on molasses reef. took sanctuary staff out on my boat to assist in locating the animals and observe their capture(by trained aquarist)(probably 5 boats with approx. 20 divers). the 2000 fish were caught near logans, abeam eagle ray alley(swimming in the open on the reef), 2004 just off the winch hole near the hole in the wall(underneath an overhang). all 4 animals were schooling with atlantic spadefish and the concern was the fact that they were paired, possibly with the ability to reproduce. a happy ending as they were not killed and instead utilized as an educational exhibit @ the two aquariums. a side note; in the 2nd incident, one batfish had been observed for months and sancturary staff decided to do nothing until months later when a 2nd batfish joined in the schooling spadefish and again the possibility of reproducing necessitated their capture,,,,,,,,



quickly googled and found articles on each occurrence,,,

Alien Batfish Placed on Exhibit

Florida Keys official Tourism Website - Islamorada, Key Largo, Marathon, Lower Keys, Key West




reefman
key largo