Volunteers Needed - Poll of Lionfish Harvesters for Scientific Research

[SpearMax]

Thanks Matt, Randy and Ron!

[SpearMax]

Here are some disturbing prior research facts:

Invasive lionfish appear to be particularly effective predators in the invaded system (Albins & Hixon 2008, Albins 2012, Green et al. 2012). Lionfish consume at least 25 different families of native fishes, including the juveniles of economically and ecologically important species such as groupers, snappers, and parrotfishes (Albins & Hixon 2008, Morris & Akins 2009, Muñoz et al. 2011, Layman & Allgeier 2012). They are also highly efficient consumers. With a mean kill rate of over 1 fish per hour (Côté & Maljković 2010), an average sized lionfish (~22 cm, ~145 g) is estimated to consume between 12 and 15 g of prey per day (Green et al. 2011). As many as 21 individual fish prey have been found in a single lionfish gut (Morris & Akins 2009), and we have seen a single adult lionfish consume more than 20 small wrasse (1 to 3 cm TL) in a 30 min time period (Albins & Hixon 2008).

[FishRulesApp]

I would be happy to make data from Fish Rules App (for iPhone) available to researchers if they promote people logging their lionfish catches using the app.

[Dykoke1]

Tony
You Know u can count on DyKOKE. I just want to pick my Isolated reefs.


Had a interesting observation reported to me on a moray and a lion.

[saltdog123]

Hey man. Im 16 but a master diver. I dont have a boat so I would need to piggy back off one of you guys. Is there an age limit? And would anyone mind bringing a youngin on there boat? Also what date is this all going down?

[Topcat333]

Supermax - when will we have further direction?

Thanks

killed 3 today

[sacha58]

I'd love tocooperate ...need boat with ladder ;-)

[DjZeff]

Id be happy to also my brother and my dad also love killin lion fish

[Mako_Man]

I have not been hunting in awhile so I'll volunteer to get a little practice. I also have a boat and go out of the Jupiter Inlet.

[B Lang]

The cold water we had here a couple weeks ago thinned them out in the 80' plus stuff. Saw multiple dead ones along with all the eels.

[SpearMax]

Originally Posted by B Lang

The cold water we had here a couple weeks ago thinned them out in the 80' plus stuff. Saw multiple dead ones along with all the eels.

Hey B, What temp killed them in your opinion? How cold was it where you saw them? Thanks, Tony

[eQuipMatt]

Just another added fact about the lionfish. They are sexually mature and able to reproduce at 2" so kill them all big or small!

[DjZeff]

competed in the palm beach lion fish derby last week and we killed 27 of em

[reef roamer]

i had my spot all picked out for the derby, there was a hundred of them, when i went back to check on them one week before the derby they were gone and the water was 54degrees. don't know if they died, moved or got harvested.

[TangoMike]

Just got back from a Tortugas trip and saw maybe a dozen. First time I have seen them in that area. I killed what I could but didn't shoot the biggest bastard on the Baja California wreck. Water temp was 74 degrees at 105 fsw. He was in an open compartment of the ship and I didn't want to bend a spear against the metal so I poked him real hard twice. Easy 3-lb and spectacular.