[Coral-List] What eats Diadema

[Eugene Shinn]

Maybe I missed it but did not see  Hogfish mentioned as a Diadema 
predator. I have watched them pick off all the spines one by one and 
ten swallow the test in a single gulp. Back when I got through school 
spearing Hogfish for restaurants (before the die-offf and when they 
were called Hogsnapper)  all  larger hogfish we took had at least a 
dozen purple spots around the head. After the Diadema die-off hogfish 
ceased to have those purple puncture spots. Apparently they switched 
to other prey and are doing well. Hogfish fillets are now common in 
fish markets in the Florida Keys and one restaurant (Hogfish Grille 
on Stock Island) is becoming famous for its Hogfish dishes. Since 
they are rarely taken other than by spearing I have to wonder about 
the source? (and yes it really is Hogfish) Gene
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No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
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E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
Marine Science Center (room 204)
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158---------------------------------- 
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