Lionfish Dumping

[Russ Braaten]

I have never heard of this but apparently Lionfish that have been dumped in the Atlantic are thriving in their new habitat.

The article is at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207878,00.html

<i>The lionfish, which originated in the Indian Ocean, is the first non-native marine fish to settle a colony in American coastal waters, Schofield said. They're found along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida.</i>

I bet that would freak a fisherman or scuba diver.

 

[Lazyreefer]

But the new U.S. lionfish colony â€" spawned by aquarium dumps â€" shows how the careless disposal of fish has already changed the nation's fresh- and saltwater systems.


I guess the price of Lion fish should be going down!

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

There is also a tang of some sort that has managed transplantation from the Pacific to the Atlantic. I'll try to find that article.

 

[papagimp]

ya know, i may be just me, but don't ya think these fish evolved and adapted and thrived in a place where nature intended. What kind of ecological impact would pacific fish make in the atlantic ocean?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7965256#post7965256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by papagimp
ya know, i may be just me, but don't ya think these fish evolved and adapted and thrived in a place where nature intended.

Of course you are you But yes, if they adapted to their surroundings, it's on purpose. But coping with their surroundings isn't necessarily up the animal's own will. Just because it got dumped and might be surviving in some cooler atlantic waters doesn't mean that it's fully adapted to it. Of course, my avater explains adaptation at its finest. The Red Sea Voltin Lionfish's appearance has changed dramatically in the last 40 years. Sorry, I don't know where the link to that article went to.

What kind of ecological impact would pacific fish make in the atlantic ocean?

It could have a HUGE ecological impact. Especially since the lionfish is a predator of smaller fish and invertebrates. Small fish and shrimp are not capable of grasping the concept of how a lionfish hunts in order to form a routine of escape methods. For all you know, some of the small fish and invertebrates mind find them attractive and go to it instead of away from it for self preservation

 

[Russ Braaten]

It has been a while since I saw this story but there are saltwater fish that were released into the great lakes through the emptying of ballast tanks on ships that have been taking over the rivers on the north east. I am sure Travis will do the background research to get the details. hahahaha

Travis, Get back to work. hehehe

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7965349#post7965349 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Russ Braaten
It has been a while since I saw this story but there are saltwater fish that were released into the great lakes through the emptying of ballast tanks on ships that have been taking over the rivers on the north east. I am sure Travis will do the background research to get the details. hahahaha

Travis, Get back to work. hehehe

I've heard about that, but actually never know what type of fish it was (I wasn't paying much attention). Oh, and by work, do you mean Reef Central or REAL work?

The same thing has happened here in Oklahoma in our freshwater tributaries and streams. Just pick up a 2006 Hunting and Fishing Guide from Walmart and read some of the articles. They talk about Zebra Mussels, Grass Carp, etc. All of which are non-native, invasive animals. But our American waters are being threatened by the Snakehead Fish. To me, the Snakehead is the most fascinating intrusive animal. How would you like this guy in your pond eating all your fish and outcompeteing apex predators for food. On top of that, they can survive out of water and "walk" for a few hours.