LIONFISH LIONFISH CONTAINMENTCONTAINMENT

Stopping the InvasionStopping the Invasion

PADI Lionfish ContainmentPADI Lionfish ContainmentDistinctive SpecialtyDistinctive Specialty

INVASION OF THE INVASION OF THE LIONFISHLIONFISH• Where did they come from?

• Why are they a problem?• Lionfish biology• Lionfish habitat and ecology• Feeding Behavior• Distribution around Playa Del Carmen• What can we do about it? • Lionfish monitoring• Poisonous spine considerations• Suggested method of capture• Rules of spearing

WHERE DID THEY COME WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?FROM?

•Native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Red Sea

•Two species introduced Pterois miles (confined to BM and NC) and Pterois volitans (everywhere)

•Theory is that captive lionfish has been released or escaped into the Atlantic ocean off of Florida (pet trade)

WHERE DID THE COME WHERE DID THE COME FROM?FROM?

Lionfish have established throughout most of the Caribbean in less than three years.

The Lionfish invasion range is North Carolina to South America including the Gulf of Mexico

WHY ARE THEY A WHY ARE THEY A PROBLEM?PROBLEM?

-Lionfish have no natural predators in the Caribbean-

Consequently, lionfish pose a threat to the integrity of the reef food web and can have wide reaching impacts on commercial fisheries, tourism, and overall coral reef health

.

WHY ARE THEY A WHY ARE THEY A PROBLEM?PROBLEM?

• Lionfish are generalist carnivores that consume over 70 species of fish and many invertebrate species – they are capable of eating prey up to half their body length

• Their prey includes commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important species

• Dense lionfish populations can consume more than 460,000 prey fish/acre/year

WHY ARE THEY A WHY ARE THEY A PROBLEM?PROBLEM?

On heavily invaded sites, lionfish have reduced their fish prey population by up to 90% and continue to consume native fishes at unsustainable rates

Lionfish are now colonizing mangroves and sea grass which poses a major threat to juvenile reef fish. Lionfish are found to have reduced juvenile fish population by 79% in a 2008 study.

LIONFISH BIOLOGYLIONFISH BIOLOGY

* Adults 42cm * Lifespan 5-10 years

2 venomous pelvic spines

13 venomous dorsal spines

non-venomous pectoral spines

3 venomous anal spines

LIONFISH REPRODUCTIONLIONFISH REPRODUCTION

• Become sexually mature in less than a year and spawn in pairs.

• Invasive lionfish reproduction occurs throughout the year and as frequently as every 4 days (whereas native Indo-Pacific lionfish breed only once a year).

• Females can release 30,000 eggs at one time and they are dispersed by ocean currents.

• One female lionfish can lay over 2 million eggs/ year.

LIONFISH HABITAT AND LIONFISH HABITAT AND ECOLOGYECOLOGY

• Lionfish inhabit all marine habitat types (reefs, lagoons, mangroves, grass beds, sand patches and artificial substrates)

• Inhabit depths from shoreline to over 300m or 1000 feet.

• Are territorial so they may remain in the same site for up to 7 months.

LIONFISH FEEDING LIONFISH FEEDING BAHAVIORBAHAVIOR

• Lionfish will consume until the supply of fish has run out.

•Stomach can expand to 30 times its regular size

•Appear to be attracted to cleaning stations

•Can survive for 12 weeks with no food

•Have a taste for fish and crustaceans

This 25 cm lionfish had 21 fish of different sizes in his stomach, its an

insatiable eater

MAP OF SIGHTINGSMAP OF SIGHTINGS

July 2009 to July 2014

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?IT?

•Educate and spread awareness on Lionfish.•We need to be the main predator.•Keep dive sites as free of Lionfish as possible.•EAT THEM!! They are a delicious delicacy! Recipes can be found online.

•Encourage local restaurants to serve Lionfish and promote consumption by community members.

• Local control efforts are critical for mitigating the effects of lionfish on key marine habitats

•Local removal efforts can significantly

reduce lionfish densities and subsequent

impacts

• Efforts are invaluable for supporting

other conservation initiatives like

management of marine protected areas

and fish stock rebuilding

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?IT?

SUGGESTED METHODS OF SUGGESTED METHODS OF CAPTURECAPTURE

• Net and stick •Good for juveniles

• Hawaiian Slings• Method to be demonstrated• A tube container is recommended to store

captured fish • Quick and safe if done properly

BE CAREFUL, THEY ARE BE CAREFUL, THEY ARE VENEMOUSVENEMOUS•Venomous tissue within their spines

• Causes poisoning when it comes in contact with the skin• Venomous tissue can still be active up to two hours after the fish has died. Symptoms:•extreme pain•swelling•numbness•blisters (sometimes) •shock (depending on the individual)•paralysis•necrosis•systematic afflictions (cardiac and nervous)

No deaths have been recorded!

Lionfish venom can be neutralized with high temperatures, therefore it is recommended to apply hot water (45°C or as hot as you can withstand it) on the area that was stung, for a period of two hours or until the pain diminishes

You can use a wet t-shirt and heat it up with the boats engine. Every organism has a different reaction to the venom, visit a doctor if needed.

TREATMENTTREATMENT

IMPORTANT RULES WHEN SPEARING

1. Safety !! Safety !! Safety !! - it is a weapon

2. Brief people before the dive • i.e. spearing will be occurring in the near

vicinity

3. Make sure you have a safe shot available • Clear 3m circle around you • Make sure people are behind you

4. Consider the reef around you • don’t hit anything…especially coral

Never point it at anyone!!

ONCE CAUGHT, NOW WHAT?

Leave it at the siteOR

If you want to bring it back to eat

Be aware that it is a safety concern –

use a plastic tube

• Spears MUST ONLY be used by qualified experienced divers

• Brief the boat before a dive to inform other divers that a spear will be used for Lionfish during the dive. Explain why there is a need for Lionfish Containment. Perception is everything

• Be aware of your depth and no deco time when using the spear.

• Buoyancy, trim, propulsion, and then spearing

• Avoid putting more than 1 lionfish on the spear - it’s the number 1 cause of being stuck !!

• It is ILLEGAL to spear any other fish !!

SPEAR USE FOR PLAYA DEL SPEAR USE FOR PLAYA DEL CARMENCARMEN

• Spears and spear guns are NOT illegal in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

• Lionfish containment is allowed.

• This is not always the case in other countries. Honduras requires all spears to be registered with the government and all Lionfish hunters must be licensed.

*CHECK LOCAL REGULATIONS BEFORE HUNTING*