INVASION OF THE LIONFISH
Severe direct and indirect impact from the Lionfish have been reported on coral reef ecosystems in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Haiti, Virgin Islands, Belize, Panama and Colombia, and the Netherlands Islands.

The Lionfish is an efficient carnivore that feeds on a wide variety of smaller fishes, shrimps and crabs, out-competing native species. It also has the potential to decrease the abundance of ecologically important species such as parrot-fish and other herbivorous fishes that keep seaweeds and macro-algae from overgrowing corals.*The Lionfish's adaptability to the mangrove and seagrass beds that provide sanctuary to juvenile reef fish will, scientists say, make it difficult to eradicate.
The Lionfish is a member of the Scorpion fish family and is originally from the ice cold waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea and is not native to the warm water of the Caribbean. First identified several years ago, it has been speculated that it's introduction may have occurred when Hurricane Andrew destroyed an aquarium in Florida in 1992, or released as abandoned pets No one knows for sure? The sizes likely to be seen vary, but in the Caribbean, they grow up to 55 cm (approximately 2 feet) in length.
Usually, Lionfish are not aggressive towards humans. They hide during the day under rock and coral and are easily approached as they move very slowly and can be viewed at a close distance. They have venomous spines that are used purely for defense. It should be noted that while their stings are not likely to be fatal, they are very painful. Lionfish are voracious predators and one Lionfish may eat more than 30,000 juvenile fish per year. Females can lay up to eight thousand eggs at one time.

The Lionfish is not only edible but is also a tasty fish. The creation of a market for the consumption of the fish is being encouraged in an effort to control their population. If left unchecked this species will result in serious environmental and economic damage to Jamaica’s already degraded fisheries.