Eat More Pest Species (Vol. 4)
Posted on | July 11, 2010 | No Comments
What fish is striped like a tiger, has poisonous spines, and could wreak havoc in the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern United States? If you answered ‘lionfish’ you are correct. And supposedly, this invasive species tastes delicious. Below, SOP chronicles the story of the lionfish and shares a recipe.
Lionfish native habitat is rocky crevices and reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. So, how did get to the Atlantic Ocean? Experts identify one major event as the leading culprit. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed a waterfront tank containing six lionfish and whisked them away from Miami to the ocean. In addition, it is likely over time home aquarists have compounded the effects of the initial breach by releasing these creatures into the wild because they got too big or killed all their other fish. Don’t release unwanted pets into the wild!!
Lionfish have no known predators in the Atlantic Ocean. They can reproduce very quickly. And they eat lots of young reef fish. This is a problem because as adults these reef fish are hugely important to the commercial and recreational fishing industries. Oh, another thing, lionfish hide in crevices and are extremely difficult to catch. Thus far, the most effective method of capture is spearfishing by SCUBA divers. Lionfish spearfishing tournaments have popped up in the Caribbean and southeastern states putting a bounty on this pest species.
In case you’ve been wondering, “Is SOP trying to convince me to eat a poisonous fish to help the environment?” The answer is “yes.” But, before you send us hate mail, hear this…..very shortly after the fish is killed, its poisonous spines lose their effect. The fish can be handled and eaten safely. The Washington Post recently posted a recipe modified from a dish Barton Seaver served at the Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood event.
Lionfish is starting to pop up on menus around the county. SOP recommends you try eating the pest species, if for no other reason than impressing your friends by eating a poisonous fish.
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