Lionfish and the Carolina Coast

[mps9506]

Alien lionfish swarm N.C. coast - Health & Science - News & Observer

"The lionfish population has exploded at a pace unlike anything scientists have ever seen from an invasive fish species in this part of the world. They are appearing in huge numbers from here southward into the Caribbean and are so plentiful that divers off the North Carolina coast routinely find up to 100 on a single shipwreck."

Remember don't dump your fish back in the ocean!

 

[jgking21]

This has happened in the Florida Keys too! It's just like someone getting a snake that grows to big, which is happening in South Florida also. People learn what you are getting yourself into before you make the purchase, it is destroying our environment!

 

[Woodstock]

Yikes!! I guess I will need to watch for sharks, jelly fish AND lionfish now when swimming at the beach!

 

[Clownfish518]

To be fair, the root cause for this is not people releasing fish back into the wild, it was hurricanes Katrina and Andrew washing whole aquariums into the ocean. Which puts the whole thing in a different light. A cautionary tale to be sure

 

[mps9506]

To be fair, the root cause for this is not people releasing fish back into the wild, it was hurricanes Katrina and Andrew washing whole aquariums into the ocean. Which puts the whole thing in a different light. A cautionary tale to be sure

There are a few papers out regarding the source of lionfish in the Atlantic. The general consensus is that they probably originated from several sources. so it isn't fair for me to associate Lionfish with aquarium releases. However, it is unlikely that aquarium flooding during hurricanes was the sole source as well.

Regardless lionfish are one of many indo pacific species to be found of the east coast. Just seeing colonies of lionfish in the wrecks of NC is very weird. Especially since just 5 years ago they were relatively rare.

 

[Clownfish518]

All the hoopla aside, and being a government contractor (when I have a job that is) I can't talk politics anyway, invasive species is a problem.

I grew up on the small lake in Connecticut. At some time in the past, someone living their kept exotic pets. Legend had it back in reconstruction days. Anyway, they released some. To this day a century later, that pond is infested with alligator snapping turtles as big as a yard across. If you ever met one, these things are mean. Even though they belong in the Everglades, these monsters still have the gene and hibernate just fine. I used to catch the babies when they were the size of a quarter and keep them as pets.

You never know what can survive where

 

[jellyman]

And this would be why the Bill banning exotic species has a chance to pass.