Colorful, deadly to ecosystems, and apparently tastes like chicken.

Photo Credit: Natalie Reiner

Author: Brittany Maule 

Today's Troublemaker: The Lionfish 

(Genus name: Pterois) 

It was a beautiful day. I looked out onto the scene of the ocean in front of me, relaxing in the island breeze as our dinner was brought out. In the time I had spent on South Water Caye Island, I had gotten used to dinner being caught while my university group snorkeled in the amazing reefs off the island’s shores. Tonight, I was a little surprised as I bit down on what looked like fish fingers and tasted essentially something like a chicken nugget. “Wait, what are we eating tonight?” I asked. “Lionfish” was the response I got. One of the most dangerous and detrimental invasive species to enter the Caribbean apparently tastes just like chicken, and to be honest, it was pretty good.

Lionfish have big fan-like pectoral (on their sides) fins and large spines lining their back. Their maroon and white coloring can make the fish seem like it has a striped mane surrounding its face. While these fish are quite beautiful and interesting to look at, their effect as an invasive species has been huge on the coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean since its introduction in the mid-1980s¹.

It was on one of the best experiences I’ve ever had that I first came face-to-face with these creatures, literally. In 2014, I studied abroad in Belize as part of a course on understanding the interactions between different organisms and the processes that affect them in marine systems. As part of this experience I got to snorkel in coral reef systems and see all sorts of colorful organisms including everything from a giant manta ray to the elusive feather duster tube worms. But by far, the most interesting organism in that reef was the lionfish, mostly because it was the reason our guides were carrying spears while we snorkeled. 

 

A video of me annoying some Feather Duster Worms to see them retreat into the tubes they live in. 

Lionfish are native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean². However, in 1985 lionfish were first spotted in Florida¹, most likely after someone released an exotic pet into the environment. Since then, they have spread throughout the Caribbean causing havoc on local ecosystems. Why are lionfish so detrimental? The answer lies in what they eat, and what eats them. Lionfish in the Caribbean don’t have any natural predators, which means nothing is eating them to reduce their numbers naturally. Also, the long spines seen on these fish can contain painful venom¹. A potential predator would be in for a rough time if stung by one of these spines. Because these fish don’t have predators to slow them down, they can eat, and eat, and eat some more. Lionfish feed on the young of other fish and stop them from reaching adulthood. As a result, lionfish can decimate the populations of fish that are not only important players in their ecosystems, but also are economically important to the Caribbean.

But, like any good protagonist, people in the Caribbean are fighting to preserve the reefs and oceans that bring in so many travelers each year. Our guides were authorized to spear and kill any Lionfish they saw, to reduce populations so they couldn’t have a detrimental effect on native fish. Once back at the island, we were fed the fried lionfish for dinner. Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks this fish is extremely good. Recently, the market for lionfish has been increasing. A new trend has emerged where lionfish are being sold in stores as a popular seafood dish³.

Our guide, Pete, spearing our dinner for that night

With some success seen with predation both by humans and other fish such as grouper³, the outlook for controlling these species is a little more hopeful. If anything, next time you are looking for a new meal to try, check out lionfish: you’ll be helping the environment, providing local fisherman with income, and you can report back and tell me if you think it tastes like chicken nuggets too. 

Check out these sources for more info: 

1)      National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Lionfish Biology Fact Sheet” 15 January, 2016. Available from: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/factsheet.html

2)      National Oceanic Service. “Why are lionfish a growing problem in the Atlantic Ocean?” 19 January, 2016. Available from: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lionfish.html

3)      Oceana. “Facing a plague of Invasive Lionfish, Caribbean and Gulf Communities Get Creative” 20 June, 2016. Available from:  http://oceana.org/blog/facing-plague-invasive-lionfish-caribbean-and-gulf-communities-get-creative