Where are the Lion Fish

[diversteve]

Eggs or juveniles drifting in the Gulf Stream, maybe? It turns around in the Arctic and heads south along the European coast.

i've heard that large ships pump in ballast water near one continent and release it before porting in another. So it's not a stretch to think there's eggs mixed in with it.

 

[boulderjohn]

IIRC, a study done on the lionfish that are devastating the Atlantic and Caribbean showed that they are all the same variety descended from a single source. The usual suspect is an event in Florida.

 

[Charred]

This thread is a really awesome statement of finding solutions to problems.

The various Caribbean islands need to get it together, unleash the hunters and get the local restaurants serving the fish.

I was in Jamacia in August and there are very few fish there except small aquarium sized reef fish (angels, wrasses, blennies, etc). The population has been hunted into oblivion and STILL (!!!) there are giant bamboo 6x6x6' cages underwater the locals are using to catch fish. Literally, (I kid you not), you would see more fish in the cages than on the reef.

The lionfish however are EVERYWHERE.

If the locals need to eat and they are going to insist on overfishing the reefs until near extinction, they could at least switch to lionfish.

 

[oldschoolto]

Man's Targeted hunting of a species has been shown to be able to reduce the species to near Extinction... Let the games begin... Before it's too late.

Here on Bonaire, Dive operations send out their boats with their dive staff to kill lionfish when needed.. The only thing that sucks is they no longer let div masters spear lionfish during a guide dive do to insurance.. if they are hunting, then they are not guiding as needed....
Jim...

 

[boulderjohn]

Man's Targeted hunting of a species has been shown to be able to reduce the species to near Extinction...

..but only when they are important parts of the ecosystem.

 

[Johnoly]

....., and even there we have thinned them out significantly.....

Just our experience as commercial spearo's in Florida targeting lionfish.....Like all fishing, those dive sites that are less or rarely visited contain the highest number of lionfish. But we also notice 2 other factors.

When we get a sudden, but expected 5 degree change in water bottom temps, they will move up from the deeper reefs. Those that move up are usually good sized at 14 - 17 inches and they show up quick. The 2nd factor is when we get a few days of ripping 3-4 knot currents in the 90 to 110ft reefs. The lions seem to struggle to stay in one spot and can't hold position since they have to move to eat. When it is a healthy current (1.5 to 2.5knts) look on the backside of barrel sponges, they love to grab on to them. Also snorkel the marina, we regularly find them in brackish waters.

 

[oldschoolto]

I just got back from a hunt.. Shot the only 2 lionfish I saw and left them on the reef for food... It's getting harder and harder to find big lionfish in Bonaire.. And even good size ones..

Jim...

 

[JFS]

i've heard that large ships pump in ballast water near one continent and release it before porting in another. So it's not a stretch to think there's eggs mixed in with it.

not likely for lion fish. The lion fish population in the Bahamas and Caribbean has dna of around 7 individuals. They multiply like rabbits.

 

[JFS]

Just our experience as commercial spearo's in Florida targeting lionfish.....Like all fishing, those dive sites that are less or rarely visited contain the highest number of lionfish. But we also notice 2 other factors.

When we get a sudden, but expected 5 degree change in water bottom temps, they will move up from the deeper reefs. Those that move up are usually good sized at 14 - 17 inches and they show up quick. The 2nd factor is when we get a few days of ripping 3-4 knot currents in the 90 to 110ft reefs. The lions seem to struggle to stay in one spot and can't hold position since they have to move to eat. When it is a healthy current (1.5 to 2.5knts) look on the backside of barrel sponges, they love to grab on to them. Also snorkel the marina, we regularly find them in brackish waters.
View attachment 405050

John, 4 years ago this was normal for me in Cozumel....I won 4 lion fish tournaments here with Atlantis Submarines. ( the boys twisted my arm with beer). Now it is harder to get them. There is some areas we go but is between 100-150 ft and we get big ones. On our tri mix dives we see very few between 200-350 ft. Maybe lack of food source? They don't like currents thats for sure....

 

[newgentry]

Like all fishing, those dive sites that are less or rarely visited contain the highest number of lionfish.
View attachment 405050

Yep. Just got back from a week in Coz, saw maybe 3 fish the whole week on the more popular reefs. Then ran into 5 big ones on one dive at Las Palmas. For whatever reason, we wound up diving that site twice last week, I saw the same fish in the same places on both dives. And, of course, this was the week that I left my spear at home.