Interesting read.. sharks taught to eat lionfish.

[Electrobes]

Thought this article was interesting... Sharks Taught to Hunt Alien Lionfish

While not exactly perfect, as mentioned in the article (Efficiency or opportunity to kill), it does make for interesting science. Maybe we could teach red planaria to attack mojanos? ;)

What's also interesting is the actual thought of teaching a shark something. They're not stupid creatures.. but dang. :ooh:

 

[CJO]

That's a cool idea. Glad to hear it may work out somewhat. They definitely need some sort of predator to keep them in check.

CJ

 

[fsu1dolfan]

That's a cool idea. Glad to hear it may work out somewhat. They definitely need some sort of predator to keep them in check.

CJ

Thats for sure! Down here in south florida i heard of a Lion Fish Tournament last summer (i think)...who could catch the most, Largest one caught, smallest one caught...all won prizes...in an effort to reduce the numbers.

 

[Tabasco1]

I am pretty sure I heard of that contest too. There have also been sites that are putting out lionfish recipes haha. I know that lionfish exist in the South Pacific as that is where they are indigenous. What is their natural predator there? NOT that I am saying that we should introduce their natural predator here as a solution, just curious.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

I am pretty sure I heard of that contest too. There have also been sites that are putting out lionfish recipes haha. I know that lionfish exist in the South Pacific as that is where they are indigenous. What is their natural predator there? NOT that I am saying that we should introduce their natural predator here as a solution, just curious.

Here's a pretty informative article about lionfish - It mentioned Eels, Frogfish, and other scorpion fish are predators... The Lionfish Info Sheet: Captive Care and Home Husbandry by Frank Marini, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

 

[CJO]

I also think that grouper and other large fish are natural predators for lionfish, but there are not many natural predators in the atlantic.

CJ

 

[Tabasco1]

Hence the population explosion. ;)

I just know that when diving/snorkelling in the south pacific there is not an overabundance of lionfish.

 

[TyreeUM]

its amazing what you can teach fish to do, and how quickly the other fish watching learn as well. When I was in school at Maine, I did some work at a hatchery that raised brook trout - and the fingerlings fed themselves when they got hungry by nudging a floating red ball attached to a food bin - it only took one fish to be put in the raceway that already knew how it worked to teach everyone else.