Divers Capture Massive Number of Lionfish in Annual Invasive Species Removal Competition Hosted by Florida.
Diver taking a commemorative photo with captured lionfish. (Photo: Yahoo).
Burmese Pythons and Lionfish are two troublesome invasive species in Florida. However, based on their overwhelming numbers, lionfish seem to have become the primary target in removal efforts. The world’s largest lionfish tournament, the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament, took place on May 23, reporting a record catch of 24,699 lionfish in the Gulf Coast of Florida, an increase of nearly 11,000 fish compared to 2022.
The size of this predatory fish also appears to be larger. Average lionfish lengths are typically between 30-38 cm off the coast of Florida, but a diver from the team Dibs on Bottom caught a lionfish measuring nearly 46 cm. This specimen is the largest recorded in the five-year history of the tournament. A total of 144 divers from across the country caught 24,699 lionfish to compete for a $100,000 prize. The competition took place over two days, May 19-20, with the Deep Water Mafia team leading the tournament with 2,898 lionfish.
Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea, but they began appearing along the Atlantic coast of Florida in 1985. They quickly spread, reaching the northern Gulf of Mexico by 2010, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Lionfish possess 18 venomous spines and their painful stings can lead to changes in heart rate, abdominal pain, sweating, and fainting. Fatalities are rare, but symptoms can last up to 30 days.
Lionfish are also known for being the only species capable of blowing water to push prey towards them for consumption. They are ambush predators that often corner their prey. They can consume prey that is more than double their body length, hunting 70 species of fish and invertebrates. Lionfish compete for food with native species such as grouper and snapper, potentially negatively impacting coral reef ecosystems by eliminating crucial ecological players like herbivorous fish.
