We saw one last night at Hol Chan that was large enough but Juan Carlos wasn't quite fast enough with his knife.

I want one of those shirts!

If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em.

That's one possible solution researchers are exploring to stem the invasion of a venomous fish from the Pacific Ocean that's rapidly populating the country's eastern seaboard with potentially worrisome environmental consequences.

At the least, the idea of turning lionfish from the predator to the prey could be one way to capitalize on the fish's unwelcome arrival.

But the plan faces many hurdles, not the least of which is the venomous spines that protrude from the fish's dorsal, ventral and anal areas.

Then, assuming the fish can be caught and cleaned safely, there's the issue of convincing landlubbers to give the fearsome-looking lionfish a shot.

But one small question already has been answered: The fish is edible, since the venom is only found in the spines, not the flesh.

"It's not a far-fetched idea," said James Morris, a researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lab in Beaufort, noting that the closely related scorpion fish is considered a delicacy in many areas of the tropics.

On the other side of the world is also where lionfish are found naturally.

But whether through accidental or intentional releases last decade, the fish is now here to stay.

The U.S. Geological Survey has said lionfish are established from Florida to Cape Hatteras and are rapidly colonizing the warm waters of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

As an apex predator, a niche naturally filled by grouper and snapper, there is concern about what the interloper with a voracious appetite might have on the local marine life.

Morris said researchers are still but trying to figure that out.

But juvenile groupers were found in the stomachs of lionfish caught in the Bahamas, where the fish's growing abundance is causing a huge ecological problem.

The lionfish's arrival off the Southeast coast also could add to the pressures grouper and snapper fisheries are already facing from overfishing - a situation that's prompted fisheries officials to propose dramatic catch reductions and closures.

But that similarity to our native top reef fish could also be the invader's Achilles heel.

"It's a very tasty fish with a mild flavor once it's cooked, a lot like grouper or snapper," said Barry Nash, a seafood technology and marketing specialist with N.C. Sea Grant. "People are very impressed with the product."

Some lionfish caught off North Carolina recently found themselves on the menus of high-end restaurants in New York and Chicago, where they were well-received by diners who liked the idea of eating a tasty fish while helping the environment.

Sean Dimin, who distributed the lionfish rounded up this summer by Discovery Diving in Beaufort, said chefs and customers embraced the invasive.

"They loved it," said the co-owner of Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Sea To Table, which specializes in marketing sustainable wild seafood bought direct from fishermen. "It went over real well."

A booth offering lionfish at last month's annual N.C. Seafood Festival in Morehead City also passed the public taste test.

Nash said the N.C. State Seafood Lab has tested and developed enough recipes, including broiled and baked dishes, that officials think lionfish has commercial potential as a food fish.

"But the real issue is how can it be economically harvested for the industry," he said.

That could be a problem off North Carolina, where the fish is generally found well offshore in waters more than 100 feet deep.

But Morris said economically harvesting lionfish in large number could be more feasible in the shallow-water reef areas of the Caribbean.

Dimin is already working on a plan with local fishing cooperatives in Mexico and Belize on spearfishing lionfish, generating a new income source for locals while removing an ecological intruder.

"I'm clamoring for supply right now because we definitely have a market for it," he said. "It's a fish with an exciting, environmentally friendly story, and people like that."

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20...land-it-on-menu

Im curious to how people are catching/killing them?

How big are these fish? Im assuming all sizes if they are multiplying, but how big is BIG one? I had one (as a pet) that was the size of a softball or so (with the spikes).

When I get there I'll catch a few at least and keep them as pets they are beautiful creatures. I'll kill and eat the ones I cant house lol

AC

With caution! Ha You can net them, but if you destroy the coral, its not worth it.

I saw two, and pictures of a 3rd. The body lengths tip of the mouth to til of the tail was 3 in, 4 in and 5in. I also use to own one many years ago, (I have it about 7 years) and he was bigger than a foot ball. He would only eat live fish, so it was kinda a pain.

Being a diver and appreciating all of the sealife it would seem to me that the tremendous overfishing and kkeping of the fish is much more of a threat to the reef than the invasion of lionfish despite their appetites.

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/welcome.html

I can't get the video to work but the entire article is quite interesting . . .sadly interesting.

The staff at Sueno Del Mar caught 4 lion fish tonight. I
ll try to upload a pic to the photos section.