Lionfish in Florida
Lionfish in Florida
MyFWCmedia posted a photo:
Red lionfish and devil firefish, collectively known as lionfish, are exotic, invasive species native to the Indo-Pacific region. Lionfish compete with and prey upon native fish and invertebrates and therefore represent a significant threat to native species and ecosystems. The first reported sighting of lionfish in the northwest Atlantic occurred off Dania Beach, Florida, in 1985. During the 1990’s, there were four more reports from South Florida, and a single report from Bermuda. After 2000, reports of lionfish rapidly increased throughout the eastern United States, Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico, beginning off the Carolinas and southeast Florida and then spreading to the Bahamas and other nearby Caribbean islands. By 2009, lionfish had invaded the Florida Keys. Rapid expansion throughout Florida has subsequently occurred in the last 5 years. Lionfish currently occur along the eastern coast of the United States from Massachusetts to Florida, in Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean, and in the Gulf of Mexico.