[Coral-List] Largest Lionfish ever?

Jerald S. Ault jault at rsmas.miami.edu
Fri May 22 12:24:32 EDT 2015


This is all documented for the Keys in:

Ruttenberg, B.I., Schofield, P.J., Akins, J.L., Acosta, A., Feeley, M.W., Blondeau, J., Smith, S.G., Ault, J.S. 2012. Rapid invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) in the Florida Keys, USA: evidence from multiple pre- and post-invasion datasets. Bulletin of Marine Science 88(4): 1051-1059.

*************************************************************************
Jerald S. Ault, Ph.D.
University of Miami
Professor of Marine Biology & Fisheries
Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society
Chairman, Tarpon & Bonefish Research Center
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149
jault at rsmas.miami.edu    (305)421-4884  w      (305)421-4791  fax
http://femar.rsmas.miami.edu/                           (305)546-3223  cell
*************************************************************************

-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of William Precht
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2015 12:06 PM
To: Ian Zink
Cc: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Largest Lionfish ever?

First known Lionfish sighted in the FKNMS was 2009 I believe. So if the Lionfish was caught off Islamorada it shouldn't be that old - certainly not 30 yrs old.
Would be interested to get an otolith for establishing the age of these larger fish from the Keys Bill

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 22, 2015, at 11:04 AM, Ian Zink <izink at rsmas.miami.edu> wrote:
> 
> Lionfish were reported to first appear (in the scientific literature) 
> in Atlantic in 1985 off Dania, Florida:
> http://safmc.net/Portals/6/Meetings/Council/BriefingBook/Dec%2009/SSC/
> sscA33Alionfishdocs.pdf
> 
> Maximum age could be up to 30 years:
> http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/flsgp/flsgpw10002/data/papers/059.pdf
> 
> Given those two pieces of evidence, and the complications related to 
> 'natural predation' of lionfish in the Atlantic (i.e., how likely 
> could a lionfish survive to maximum age/length?), I'd suggest that 
> some big fat individuals could be growing, and surviving, in Florida 
> waters simply because they've been here the longest.  I'd have to do 
> more research on the length/age to know approximately how old this 
> large individual was, but in the end, it could be just that lionfish 
> have been in Florida longer, and thus have more of chance to get that 
> big, relative to other locations where their introduction is more recent.
> Someone else would have to chime in who knows more on the ecology of 
> lionfish to give a better answer as to whether or not Florida is 
> better habitat than other locations.
> 
> on an interesting note - the first introduction into Atlantic was 30 
> years ago - which coincides with the approximate age reported.
> cheers,
> Ian
> 
> <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))>< <)))><
> 
> 
> 
>> On 5/21/2015 2:53 PM, Lane W wrote:
>> I'm wondering if lionfish are proliferating even more so in the 
>> Florida waters then in other places. Based on the size it would seem they are.
>> Do any of the Coral Listers know of a size chart for lionfish?
>> Any recent counts?
>> 
>> http://www.flmrg.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=446
>> 
>> Capt. Jimmy Nelson got quite the surprise when targeting lionfish 
>> while shooting a segment off Islamorada for his show Extreme Fishing Adventures:
>> a HUGE lionfish! The large lion measured in at 18.75 inches or 477 
>> mm, which according to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation is 
>> the largest lionfish they have officially measured.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Coral-List mailing list
>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
_______________________________________________
Coral-List mailing list
Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list


More information about the Coral-List mailing list