Lionfish, Oh my!

The Caribbean Sea is now full of the invasive species of lion fish. The lionfish comes from the south pacific and has no natural predators in the Caribbean and is thriving. The danger of this fish is that the lionfish itself is a voracious predator and is a threat to the juvenile populations of many native species.

The lionfish has many venomous spines covering its body and is very good at avoiding predation from the apex predators such as sharks and eels. If the trends continue, the unchecked growth of lionfish in the Caribbean could cause real problems for the natural ecosystem.

When over fishing is good

Luckily there is one species that is an excellent hunter of lionfish, humans. Even though lionfish are very fast ambush predators, they don’t swim away from divers which creates an opportunity to catch them. Hunting lionfish is good for the ecosystem, and could make a tasty dinner because lionfish are very good eating. However they are covered in venomous spines and are excellent at evading capture, so it is good to follow some guide line when trying to capture them.

Use a pole

A common way of removing the fish from the reef is with a pole spear. Pole spears are cheap and portable making them readily available for hunting. It is recommended to use a three pronged tip, giving more chance of hitting the fish and keeping it, as they have been known to wiggle off of the single spike style.

Lionfish tend to stay in the same spot for a days or weeks and once you know where they are you can usually go back and find them again. When spearing a lionfish move up to it slowly and get the tip of the spear as close as possible without driving it away. Try to get the fish broadside to you and aim just behind the head. Chances are he will move forward and you will hit it just behind where you were aiming. Try not to hit the head of the lionfish as the spear tends to bounce off. If possible try to pin the fish against a rock or the ground when you release the spear, this tends to increase the likelihood of puncturing the fish.

Always be aware of any living part of the reef, such as coral, and don’t damage it. If you miss, many times the fish will only move a few feet and give you a chance for a second shot, try not to rush and line up again. After successfully speared the fish, try to dispatch it quickly with a knife or kill spike. This is humane and prevents them from escaping from your pole, which has happened surprisingly often. Check out Amazon for reviews and current prices.

3.5' Fiber Glass Pole Spear with Lionfish Barb Tip

Don't touch that!

Lionfish are covered in venomous spines that can be very painful if you are injured by one. One time I was attempting to spear a lionfish with a short two foot pole spear. I missed the body of the lionfish but broke off one of the spines with the spear. The spine was stuck in the prongs of my spear tip. Without noticing, I grabbed the spear tip to take another shot at the fish, and I was stuck by the broken venomous spine of the lionfish.

Lionfish venom is causes swelling and moderate to intense pain. From experience I can say the pain is very dull but strong, kind of similar to being hit very hard with bat or something heavy. Typically, the pain can travel away from the initial wound. For example, I was stuck in the finger and pain covered my entire hand and part of my arm. The treatment for this is the same as a wound inflicted by the venomous barb of a stingray or catfish, place the affected body part in hot water. The water should be as hot as you can stand it and the pain will instantly subside. Continue soaking in hot water for around an hour to break down the proteins of the venom.

Dinner time

If you successfully catch a lionfish and return it to your kitchen you have done the local environment a favor and have won a tasty reward. While there isn’t a lot of meat on lionfish, a very large one would be 24 inches, it has a very light white fish taste. It makes for excellent ceviche and is great prepared in a more traditional style.

In order to encourage fishing, many restaurants in the Caribbean are putting lionfish on the menu, and there are even special cookbooks for it. Make sure to use kitchen shears to cut off the spines; they are along the back, under the fins, and on the underside by the tail. Then cut the fillets.

For more visit the great people at REEF. http://www.reef.org/lionfish