Lionfish
Place of Origin: Western Pacific Ocean
Place of Harm: Atlantic Coast of North and South America
First Introduced: 1980’s
Harms: Native fish, humans (if consumed or poked)
Other Names: Zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, red lionfish, butterfly cod, ornate butterfly-cod, peacock lionfish, red firefish, scorpion volitans
Lionfish are a type of predatory reef fish first introduced through aquarium trade. There is evidence supporting the fact that many of the Lionfish in the Atlantic ocean descended from 6 lionfish that escaped from an aquarium during a hurricane. Lionfish have very high resistivity to depth, temperature, salinity and water quality, on top of being very fast breeders. These factors and a few others can pack a punch to the Atlantic ecosystem. Lionfish eat native fish, which can reduce native populations and have negative effects on the overall reef habitat and health as they can eliminate species that serve important ecological roles such as fish that keep algae in check on the reefs. Lionfish also compete for food with native predatory fish such as grouper and snapper. Along with the threat they pose to native species Lionfish are poisonous to humans if consumed improperly or poked. Due to the extent of the lionfish invasion, control is now the only option as attempts to eradicate existing lionfish populations would be impractical and probably unsuccessful In the Pacific groupers, sharks and coronet fishes are known to prey on lionfish. In the Atlantic, groupers are severely overfished and struggling to fill this role. The first documented case of grouper predation was in the Bahamas in 2008, when several groupers were captured containing partially digested lionfish remains in their stomach. For this, and many other reasons, predator populations need to be protected and allowed to recover. Another method of control is eating them. Apparently lionfish are tasty, with light, white and flakey meat. Each lionfish female can lay up to 2 million eggs. Lionfish are considered a delicacy in many Asian countries around the world; however, they must be prepared properly. There are some efforts to eat the invasive Lionfish.
Place of Origin: Western Pacific Ocean
Place of Harm: Atlantic Coast of North and South America
First Introduced: 1980’s
Harms: Native fish, humans (if consumed or poked)
Other Names: Zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, red lionfish, butterfly cod, ornate butterfly-cod, peacock lionfish, red firefish, scorpion volitans
Lionfish are a type of predatory reef fish first introduced through aquarium trade. There is evidence supporting the fact that many of the Lionfish in the Atlantic ocean descended from 6 lionfish that escaped from an aquarium during a hurricane. Lionfish have very high resistivity to depth, temperature, salinity and water quality, on top of being very fast breeders. These factors and a few others can pack a punch to the Atlantic ecosystem. Lionfish eat native fish, which can reduce native populations and have negative effects on the overall reef habitat and health as they can eliminate species that serve important ecological roles such as fish that keep algae in check on the reefs. Lionfish also compete for food with native predatory fish such as grouper and snapper. Along with the threat they pose to native species Lionfish are poisonous to humans if consumed improperly or poked. Due to the extent of the lionfish invasion, control is now the only option as attempts to eradicate existing lionfish populations would be impractical and probably unsuccessful In the Pacific groupers, sharks and coronet fishes are known to prey on lionfish. In the Atlantic, groupers are severely overfished and struggling to fill this role. The first documented case of grouper predation was in the Bahamas in 2008, when several groupers were captured containing partially digested lionfish remains in their stomach. For this, and many other reasons, predator populations need to be protected and allowed to recover. Another method of control is eating them. Apparently lionfish are tasty, with light, white and flakey meat. Each lionfish female can lay up to 2 million eggs. Lionfish are considered a delicacy in many Asian countries around the world; however, they must be prepared properly. There are some efforts to eat the invasive Lionfish.
Essential Question
"Could a genetically engineered invasive species potentially be used in warfare?"