Lionfish Invade Florida Keys

[Onshore]

This report is compiled from information from the National Park Service, Miami Herald and
UPI

Invasive lionfish a menace in Florida Keys


The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) is venomous coral reef fish from the Indian and western Pacific oceans. Photo courtesy of National Park Service | Enlarge

• KEY LARGO, Fla., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The red lionfish has invaded the waters in and around the Florida Keys, wreaking havoc on the island cluster's native fish populations, experts say.
Marine life collector Pete Kehoe said the primary issue regarding the appearance of the lionfish species in the Florida Keys is the creature's voracious appetite, The Miami Herald said Monday.
"I think a lot of people underestimate what the problem can be," Kehoe said. "I'm amazed. They are like the perfect eating machine. They eat until they are about to explode."

Since lionfish first appeared in the Florida Keys a year ago, more than 80 members of the invasive species have been spotted in the region. Lad Akins, special projects manager for the Reef Environmental Education Foundation based in Key Largo, Fla., said it is unlikely experts will be able to completely eliminate the presence of lionfish from the Florida Keys. "Control is possible in the Keys, especially if we pick important areas because they are utilized as tourist destinations or are ecologically important because of the diversity of fish," he told the Herald.

[LeeG]

I saw one or two n the bahamas a few years ago and by the next year you couldn't dive on a patch of coral or go by a stand of mangroves without seeing one. They are going to cause a lot of trouble until they come to some kind of balance.

Lee

[CMP]

Extreminate them. They are pretty easy to hit with a spear, but care must be taken when dispatchign these beasts. A long knife is best...

CMP

[UnaPezMas]

Right idea...
How poisonous are they?

Are they painful to the touch, etc? I was snorkeling down in Playa del Carmen, and came across one. It was in a protected area, though, so the locals wouldn't help to kill it. it was a bit deeper than I initially thought...

I should have tried harder.
That's terrible new for the keys.

Chris

[hatidua]

You do not want to get stung by one. They aren't as potent as stonefish but can be nasty in their own right. Pretty easy targets though - getting close to them is quite easy.

[DAQ]

Originally Posted by LeeG

I saw one or two n the bahamas a few years ago and by the next year you couldn't dive on a patch of coral or go by a stand of mangroves without seeing one. They are going to cause a lot of trouble until they come to some kind of balance.

Lee

They are a big problem in the Bahamas but some of the locals have started eating them. They are supposed to be delicious.

[Cheju]

Like most invasive species they come without natural enemies and flourish until they are controlled.

In spite of their venom which is painful, but not deadly, they are delicious to eat. I don't know whether there is any sport in catching them but we should encourage _ Catch _ Keep _ and __ Eat.

By doing so, we might be able to get them under controll.

Cheju

[CMP]

I had no idea they were edible, Cheju. Any tips on cleaning? I mean is this like a Fugu thing or just be careful not to hit the spines? Thanks...

CMP

[Onshore]

Here are a couple recipes from: www.lionfishhunter.com

Take pancake mix, lemon pepper, milk and egg mix together / dip the lionfish with slits cut on the side in the batter then deep fry / make a dipping sauce out of mayonnaise hot sauce, salt, pepper, and finely chopped fresh cilantro / Serve with homemade deep fried shoestring potatoes cole slaw and a slice of lime.



Grind a hot pepper in salt / cut slits in the side of the lionfish (head on) and rub the spicy salt all over the body of the fish / hard pan fry with peanut oil 1/4” deep. Serve with peas and rice, home made macaroni and cheese, and cole slaw with hot sauce.

There are 18 more recipes on that web site along with a lot more information about lionfish and lionfish hunting

[Cheju]

CMP

The danger with FUGU is that you add a portion of the poisonous bile to the slces of Fugu sashimi. The proper amount gives you a bit of a high by taking your breath away. Too much poison and your breath is permanently taken away and you die. For this reason, only licensed chef's can serve it in Japan.

Avoiding or removing the poisonous spines of the lionfish should do the trick.

Cheju

[Captned]

The Lionfish guy's video says if you get stuck by one, run the area under hot water (103 degrees and up) and will make the pain go away.. Nice video he made. Worth watching....

Captned

[--username-deleted--]

Originally Posted by Cheju

CMP

The danger with FUGU is that you add a portion of the poisonous bile to the slces of Fugu sashimi. The proper amount gives you a bit of a high by taking your breath away. Too much poison and your breath is permanently taken away and you die. For this reason, only licensed chef's can serve it in Japan.

Cheju

Sentence/statement 1: False.
Sentence/statement 2: False.
Sentence/statement 3: Sort of true, but not in the context of 1 and 2
Sentence/statement 4: True.

Not such a great factual blurb, bub.

L

[--username-deleted--]

[Cheju]

Thirty five years ago when I was spending a lot of time travelling in Japan, this was the explanation I was given about Fugu. There must have been something lost in the translation.

Cheju

[--username-deleted--]

No biggie, Cheju; just trying to keep it factual. I've eaten fugu many times, and the most dramatic physical effect I've ever experienced was an almost imperceptible, ever so slight hint of numbness in my lower lip. But then that may have been all in my head. Were I ever to eat fugu and got to feeling short of breath, I'd be very, very worried that I'd just eaten my last meal.

I don't rely much on Wiki for my facts, but this particular blurb is pretty good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu#Fugu_poisoning

Cheers.