[Coral-List] alien humpback groupers RE: new mystery fish

[Sarah Frias-Torres]

John,I will be cautious promoting fishing contests to get rid of alien, yet to be determined if invasive, Indo-Pacific humpback groupers.
There are many recreational fishers (anglers and spearfishers) that know their fish and can serve as role models due to their deep concern about fishing sustainably, following catch and size limits, and an overall respect for the ocean.
Unfortunately, there are even more fishers who can't tell one grouper species from another. Unlike efforts to eliminate invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish, where you have to be brain-dead to confuse lionfish with something else, chasing after a grouper species, even if invasive, can lead to mis-identification and unrestricted killing of managed and protected native grouper species. This is specially acute in Florida, where we have both resident and migratory (snowbirds, weekend, trans-american) fishers.
I think the time has come, as the Walrus said, to talk about accountability in the aquarium trade and aquarium hobbyists. I was expecting more transparency and cooperation from the aquarium lobby due to the massive lionfish invasion, but I don't see much change. So perhaps we should bring them to the conversation, and we do it sooner rather than later. 
By the way, Florida, and particularly Miami, is the epicenter, the port of entry of aquarium exotics for the U.S. and the Atlantic region. The mythical place where the lionfish invasion began. Florida could also lead the way to a more responsible aquarium trade and hobbyist use.

Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D. Research CollaboratorSmithsonian-National Museum of Natural Historyat Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FLTwitter: @GrouperDocBlog: http://grouperluna.wordpress.comhttp://independent.academia.edu/SarahFriasTorres


> From: jmcmanus at rsmas.miami.edu
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:52:47 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] new mystery fish
> 
> Cromileptes altivelis (humpback grouper) is a delicious fish, but also a
> voracious one that could compete directly with other groupers. If there is
> any chance of stopping it via fishing contests, now is the time to do it!
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of mtupper
> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 1:26 PM
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov; Eugene Shinn
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] new mystery fish
> 
> Hi Gene and List,
> 
> This is not terribly surprising. Since the lionfish invasion, many aquarium
> stores have replaced lionfish with Cromileptes altivelis (humpback grouper)
> as the primary "top predator" species for sale. It was only a matter of time
> before they starting showing up in Florida.
> 
> I see from the various news articles that some people are hoping these
> Indo-Pacific groupers will prefer to eat Indo-Pacific lionfish. Perhaps (and
> that would be great), but I bet they'd prefer to slurp up some nice,
> spineless parrotfish and wrasse and maybe a lobster or two, just like the
> native Atlantic groupers.
> 
> Cheers,
> Mark
> 
> 
> Dr. Mark Tupper
> Coastal Resources Association
> 207-10822 City Parkway, Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 0C2 www.coastal-resources.org
> Email: mtupper at coastal-resources.org
> Tel. 1-604-588-1674; Mobile: 1-604-961-2022
> 
> Philippines Office:
> Poblacion, Sagay, Camiguin, Philippines 9103 Tel. 63-927-921-9915
> 
> On January 18, 2013 at 9:40 AM Eugene Shinn <eshinn at marine.usf.edu> wrote:
> > Of possible interest to coral-listers....New Pacific fish shows up in 
> > the Atlantic.. Gene 
> > http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/09/3174200/mystery-fish-invades-key
> > s-waters.html#storylink=cpy
> > --
> >
> >
> > No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
> > ------------------------------------ 
> > -----------------------------------
> > E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
> > University of South Florida
> > College of Marine Science Room 221A
> > 140 Seventh Avenue South
> > St. Petersburg, FL 33701
> > <eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
> > Tel 727 553-1158----------------------------------
> > -----------------------------------
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