Lionfish

About the Lionfish

One of the most devastating invasive species in the Atlantic. A single female produces 2 million eggs per year. They have no natural predators in the Atlantic and Caribbean. They have reduced native fish populations by up to 90% on some reefs. Their 18 venomous spines cause excruciating pain but rarely death. They are native to the Indo-Pacific but were released from aquariums in Florida. They can expand their stomachs 30x to swallow prey half their size. The only effective control is human hunting - lionfish derbies and encouraging people to eat them. They are delicious and eating them helps the environment.