Invasive species from a different perspective...

[mainbutter]

good post.

The fact is that invasive species ARE a huge problem.

But the ones I am the most concerned about aren't reptiles.

Asian carp(aka silver carp) and zebra mussels top my list of "invasive animals of most concern). I also live in the midwest, which is a factor for that certainly.

Neither of those species were brought into the waters of Minnesota due to the pet trade.

[mrshawt]

Tilapia are also a growing concern. I hear they can even survive in drainage water (not sewage obviously ).

[spk329]

I have a fried who lives in Puerto Rico and she told me that Lion fish just started showing up at the beaches. CRAZY

[mrshawt]

Apparently, they're in MD too. And let me tell you, the Chesapeake is far from tropical...

[Lucas339]

Mike, you should have speared as many as you could.

i have many friends here at work that dive all the time and they tend to do just that. i haven't witnessed them in the wild yet, but if i ever do......

[icygirl]

I knew lionfish were invasive, but to think that it started from 6 released animals? Whoa. Now I'm starting to see why the ecologists are so paranoid.

[Midwest Morphs]

I have read a lot of different articles on the Lion Fish, they have been a large cause to the decline of grouper in the ocean because they eat the babies. They basically eat anything that will fit in their mouth and nothing will eat them since they are poisonous.

From what a lot of people say they are great to eat, their poison is only in their spines and you can clip them off with some pliers and cook them from there.

A lot of coastal towns have Lionfish rodeos where they show people how to properly catch them and teach them to cook them.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

to address what some of you mentioned:
1.) I forgot my dive camera!!!!!!
2.) I don't have a spear gun yet (planning on gettting one for my birthday in a month)

I believe there is no doubt the ones in the Bahamas are from the same escaped fish. think about it... the bahamas is only like 300 miles from floridas coast. they have already made it all the way up to New York which is 4 -5 times further then that!

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they are going to be big news in the future. I am sure they are taking a toll on the grouper species, because they hang out in the same areas of the reef as the grouper! From what I saw they tend to stay on on the edge of the ship, and under things.

The thought of them being at the beach is EXTREMELY disturbing. The reason I say this is they have no fear off humans at all whatsoever. I was literally inches away from them and they had NO interest in moving. I shined my light in their eyes, and even poked one with my blunt point dive knife! It scooted over maybe 2 inches and then just sat there and looked at me with all its spikes stuck out in the attack position!

As one of the greatest lovers of the ocean and beach in this world, there is no way I would ever step foot in a beach where these things are hanging out in the waves. If you stepped on one you would be seriously injured, and to make things much worse, It probably would only scoot away a few inches making it likely to be stepped on again on the way out while screaming in pain... Oh yeah, and where there is one there is 20.

[cartman89]

Yup here in florida we have a LOT of saltwater aquarist including me....well what these people do (the ones who have aquariums) is let their fish go into the wild. Why?? I don't know, they're idiots. But florida has had A HUGE lionfish problem....and I guess it still exsist

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Mike, you should have speared as many as you could.

i have many friends here at work that dive all the time and they tend to do just that. i haven't witnessed them in the wild yet, but if i ever do......

I would have no issue with this, but I have to wonder... whats the point? The way I see it the permanent damage is already done! They would be VERY easy to kill because they just sit there and look at you. I would venture to say that even in just two tanks of diving I could have killed every one of them on that wreck. Problem is tho, when they have ZERO predators (other then humans) to control their numbers, in a few weeks that same site would be covered in them all over again.