Take a look beyond the undulating fins and dramatically colored skin, and you find a biological beast: one that can
produce 2 million eggs a year, releasing batches every four days over a very long spawning season.
very docile once in confinement and not poke its sharp spines through the plastic. It behaved as predicted, but I still kept the bag at arm’s length. As I followed McFall, it seemed
there were lionfish everywhere, mixed in with red snapper, tomtates, scamp grouper, and a myriad of other native species. By the time our dive ended, a dozen lionfish were in the bag. Amazingly, we had only worked a small area of the reef. Once aboard the NOAA research
vessel, I gave our quarry a closer inspection, careful to avoid the ven- omous spines on the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins. Our largest fish was push- ing 16 inches in length, a size larger than lionfish typically grow in their native waters. Spreading a layer of crushed ice over the lionfish, we headed to shallow- er waters to visit one of the eight Navy towers located off Georgia. These man-made structures look much like a small version of the oil and gas production platforms dotting the Gulf of Mexico. The submerged struc- ture of the towers is encrusted with a variety of marine life. Ateam of under- water hunters had visited our destina- tion earlier in the year, capturing all the lionfish in an attempt to rid the struc- ture of the fishy invaders while also collecting specimens for the Georgia Aquarium. A thorough examination of the legs and cross-members revealed no lionfish. After six months, they had not re-colonized the structure — cause for optimism. After returning to shore, we sorted out our catch and carefully dissected a couple of fish so I could see their inter- nal anatomy, gender and stomach con- tents. We also filleted a few of the larg- er individuals. I said my goodbyes and headed home with my zipper-lock bag
34
DUANE HARRIS Not only are commercially and
recreationally impor- tant species being
preyed upon,but they are also being indirectly harmed as their food supplies are gobbled upbyhungrylionfish.
of lionfish fillets, looking forward to the time when I could prepare them for a meal.
It takes a certain amount of faith to eat a venomous animal. There’s always a small voice in the brain saying, “Is this really a good idea?” That little voice has kept some from taking advantage of one desirable attribute of the lionfish — it tastes great. I personally confirmed the palatabil- ity of lionfish when I shared deep-fried lionfish nuggets with friends during a
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church fish fry. I figured if you’re going to risk getting poisoned might as well do it in church. My fears were unfound- ed. The flesh of lionfish is delicate and distinctly non-fishy in appearance and flavor. While others have described it as a cross between snapper and grouper, it reminded me of flounder.
Recognizing that the best way to battle the lionfish fish might be with a fork and knife, NOAA — in partner- ship with environmental non-profits, fishmongers, and restaurants — is spearheading an “Eat Lionfish” cam- paign. From linen-covered tables in Chicago to cabanas in Freeport, Baha- mas, hungry diners are enjoying sautéed, broiled, and fried lionfish. It is even showing up atop sticky rice in sushi bars. Yet, just as consumer demand is growing, suppliers are faced with a challenge. Traditional fishing methods such as nets, traps and hook-and-line are inef- fective for lionfish. Spearing remains the best way to selectively harvest lion- fish. In the shallower waters surround- ing the Caribbean islands and Florida
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