There are two species of Lionfish that are currently classified as invasive in Southern Florida, the Pterois volitans & P. miles. These fish are native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean and were released into Florida wildlife in one of two ways. The first way was through ballast water, the water that gets carried in the belly of giant intercontinental trade ships as larval lionfish need very little oxygen and food. However, it is more commonly believed that they were from aquarium releases, both an accidental release when an aquarium was flooded during hurricane Andrew in 1992 as well as private owners releasing their Lionfish. Lionfish are usually red brown and white striped with 18 venomous spines that they utilize against predators. These fish usually grow 12 to 15 inches long but they have been known to reach up to 18 in long in areas where they are non native. Lionfish not only compete with other species for food and territory but are most negatively impactful as they devour organisms that serve important ecological roles in reefs, like eating fish that keep algae in check. As far as what people can do, if you are a spear fisher or diver, you can remove the Lionfish either with a pole spear, a handheld net, or report the location of your lionfish to MyFWC.com/Lionfish or by using the Report Florida Lionfish smart phone app. If you are not a diver or spear fisher, you can request Lionfish at your local restaurant or seafood market.
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AuthorsHello! We are three students trying to inform the public on the invasive species of South Florida. |