Lionfish: The Prettiest Pests You Ever Did See
Gary Bell/OceanwideimagesOnly the dorsal-, ventral-and anal-fin spines are venomous; the flesh, a pure, white, mild meat, is considered a delicacy.
ThinkstockLionfish often turn up inside lobster traps.
Greg LecoeurThis is a slogan used by marine conservationist groups to encourage the consumption of lionfish. Check out the delicious ceviche recipe in "How to Kill a Lionfish" linked at the bottom of this article.
Tobias FriedrichThe big mystery is that Lionfish have no known predators in the Atlantic. In fact, scientists are not sure what keeps population numbers in check within their home range.
Tom McHugh/Science SourceMore than 70 species of native fishes -- many marine invertebrates, as well as seahorses, octopuses, and a jawfish with a clutch of eggs inside its mouth -- have been removed from the stomachs of lionfish.
Reefs heavily infested with lionfish can quickly experience as much as a 90 percent decline in prey fish populations. These gorgeous, chromatic cratures hunt during early-morning hours, and then again around dusk.
They're also reproductive machines. A large female can release 15,000 eggs, swaddled in a gelatinous raft, every four days. This adds up to a total of 2 million eggs each year.
With current methods, lionfish will probably not be eradicated from the Western Atlantic. However, diver-removal initiatives have been controlling population at local levels.
Lad Atkins's Lionfish Tips | How to Kill a Lionfish | REEF Lionfish Information
