Oh, Those Pesky Lionfish...

We’ve all heard the cry before… “Lionfish?! KILL IT!”

But it didn’t used to be this way! Lionfish are actually endemic to the Indo-Pacific and are a healthy addition to the reef. But sometime in the mid-1980s, they began popping up around Florida and the northern Caribbean -Most theories purport that they were apart of aquarium releases. Nonetheless, they are officially considered an invasive species in our part of the world and pose serious threats to the health of the reefs. For starters, they compete with larger, comercially important species like snapper and grouper for food. Next, they eat herbivores which are responsible for pruning reefs to keep them healthy. Lionfish are responsible for the threatened listing of several coral species, and their populations only continue to grow in areas where they shouldn’t be.

Image: NOAA

So remember, KILL THE LIONFISH!!… unless you’re in the Pacific!