As others have said, since the lionfish have no natural enemies in these waters that they're invading (and spawning like crazy, devouring native species), the local predator species have to become accustomed to these fish as a prey fish. Eels, groupers, sharks other fish CAN be shown the lionfish as edible prey fish. This will also help to eradicate them from depths too deep for recreational divers. This invasive species was CAUSED by humans dumping their aquarium fish in the ocean, not realizing the damage they would do.
🟦.... Well, you're PARTIALLY right, lionfish WERE spread by humans, but NOT by 'em emptying their aquariums into the ocean, although I'm SURE that HAS happened, there just wouldn't have been the NUMBERS that we experienced so QUICKLY if that had been the major source of the invasion, but it was actually caused instead by Lionfish being transported here in the BALLASTS of SHIPS!..... The lionfish was kind of the last straw in invasive species & is the reason that very soon, ships utilizing that type of ballast may be required to have Microwave-Emitters installed in the ballast-tanks to KILL EVERYTHING IN THEM just before dumping the ballast.
@@Lunar_Capital Not all of them. Hurricanes, for example, can cause species to leave their native ecosystem. Fires from thunderstorms can cause species to relocate. Sometimes things might happen on accident, but humans have accelerated this by 10000%
If you haven’t spent a lot of time in the Caribbean you can’t begin to appreciate just how big those green morays can get. I’ve been face to face with one that was six feet long and as big around as my thigh, with a head the size of a football. When they get that big they are an apex predator, and are therefore very calm and gentle with divers. They’re very fascinating and powerful.
And at that size would remove your hand from your wrist with nothing but a little pop! Quite an incredible fish which deserves up most respect, very cool animals at the same time.
They've got terrible eyesight, which makes it more dangerous to interact with them, as they could easily mistake your extremities for prey. They also have pharyngial jaws, think the xenomorphs from the Alien franchise. Seen a smaller one take a diver's thumb when the dumbass was feeding it hot dogs. That said I've also seen plenty of video suggesting they like chin rubs. I just wouldn't take the risk personally.
@@OnlyKaerius This is why it’s generally dumb to feed dangerous wild predators - not you, @octodiver, you clearly know what you’re doing. I see all these videos of tour groups in swarms of sharks, feeding them, or feeding morays, etc. You’re just asking for it.
Thanks for your comment! We just hope that predators develop soon so we can stop killing lionfish. They are really beautiful underwater, and we would rather enjoy them as part of the reef ecosystem.
@@reduardocc Lionfish are destroying the reef's ecosystem by eating the fish that protect it...I don't believe that there's anything 'enjoyable' regarding an invasive species taking over our land and our oceans. Invasive pythons and wild hogs in Florida, or the invasive Chinese carp in our lakes shouldn't be enjoyed by anyone...IMO.
It was kinda funny to see that smaller fish, a pilot fish maybe, watch as the moray devoured the whole lionfish. I'm sure he asked "are you gunna eat all of that?" just before he engulfed it and swam off.
I was free diving in Maui with a spear fishing group. We swam off shore about 200 yards, water depth was 20-30 feet. I was practicing laying on the bottom for as long as I could. I went up got a big breath of air and did a duck dive to go back down, about 15 feet down there was a coral formation on my right side that rose up from the sea floor, I was being watched.... intently! I nearly inked the water because a big green Moray came half way out of his hole to check me out, zero fear on his part. I could have easily been seriously injured. I'm thankful he was just curious and not in defence mode. I learned a new level of respect on that excursion.
I've had the opposite experience. I was descending toward the bottom in 60 ft of water. A moray eel was cruising around, took one look at me, and sped away like crazy to the nearest hole. They don't want to mess with people, they are deathly afraid of us. The only exceptions are ones that have been fed by people.
@@artvandelay8090 I have a ton of respect for them, most creatures don't want anything to do with humans but in the case of a Morey I don't want to push my luck. Any wild animal that feels threatened will do whatever is necessary for their own preservation be it run and hide or fight to the death.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3IQ2I-P8Ucw.html Here is a moray that apparently befriended and remembered a diver. And below is a sobering video about the dangers of morays. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8rLmQVQOM-8.html
WesleyAPEX you've got that right!... I've killed over 200 lionfishs. Not a single one have ran... unless you miss the shot and then they run... but not far. They also taste very good!!.. I would say similar to red snapper...
they dont have any natural predators, so when they see the divers coming they just don't see them as a threat. in almost every video of lionfish being hunted by groupers/eels the predator starts the hunt by getting very close to the lionfish. then the lionfish tries to keep its spines aimed at the predator and the predator tries to find a way around them. divers however do not come very close to the fish but stay at a distance, so the lionfish doesn't go into defensive mode, and then the divers spear them/ shoot them in too short a time for the lionfish to react. even if there are multiple lionfish and they see one of their comrades being killed, they expect that the spines of the killed fish will harm the predator when it eats the lionfish, which divers don't do straight away. the instinct of the lionfish is not to flee, because they are not build to do that. they can go pretty quickly in short bursts, but not for long periods of time, so even if they try to run, a diver can just swim after it and probably catch up
@@jessedijkstra1220 More importantly they are not designed to run, their short body type only allows them to put on short bursts of speed. They rely on their venomous spines for protection instead.
I dive about 100 times a year in the IndoPacific and most species of lion fish are as fearless there as here. They are afraid of nothing, nor should be, because of the venomous spines. There are a few species through that are less relaxed, and they appear to have less weaponry. Like the twin spot lion.
Great video. Its amazing seeing how many lion fish that you encounter in a dive, even though you are trying to kill as many as you can. Glad to see the eel made a meal of it
Divers have done more to impact this evasive species than sea life eating them. Keep up the good work. By turning. Lion fish into Taco's.. When I did my recent lion fish cull. I killed. Around 700 in 4 days.. I cleaned them and donated them to food bank for the homeless..
I couldn’t find the moray eel in the large aquarium tank so i very gently tapped on glass. He found me hitting a 10 on the volts of electricity sent out and I never jumped so high. I immediately left his abode, never to return. Wow!
When an eel has a maw with a pharyngeal jaw, that’s a moray, When it’s jaws open wide and there’s more jaws inside, that’s a moray When it sulks in a reef and has two sets of teeth, that’s a moray When an eel bites your thigh and you bleed out and die, oh that’s a moray!
Yes. The eel survived. They love lionfish but they still don't know how to hunt them. Eels always come back for more lionfish. Every time we go diving in the same spot, eels look forward for their piece of lionfish... Same with reef sharks
Wait, that's a big eel? When I was diving in the middle of the Pacific on a wreck my buddy and i saw a eel that was a good 12 inches in diameter and about 10-12 feet long. Now that was a Big eel.
I've always been creeped out by eels, but now they have my respect. Just like how I used to think Lion Fish were pretty, until I started seeing them on my dives in Key West and the Bahamas.
I’m aware they, and pretty much any predatory fish can eat them, but how do they deal with the spines? For something where the lion fish is sitting snugly in the stomach, even a slight jostling, or bending should cause the needles to puncture the stomach, and maybe further, even injecting venom directly into the body cavity or other organs. Do the spines get dissolved/digested very quickly? When lionfish(any fish)die and decompose, the bones and especially the spines, don’t break down, so I would imagine it wouldn’t be very long before the spines don’t even have soft flesh around them to potentially help “cushion” them, and separate them from the stomach lining. It’s just very strange to me. I’m absolutely incredibly happy everything can swallow them and survive, I just don’t get how it’s as safe as it is.
@@Dahlen4Dummies the pressure around the body of the lionfish keeps the fins pressed close and tight. The stomach acid erodes the tips a lot faster due to their slim shape yielding maximum surface area. The predator's motions will not affect that.
I was reaching for a seashell at 130 yrs ago when a green Eel mouth open met me half way. Lol I was able to grab it from a different angle. Don't let life pass you by. DIVE
@@reduardocc it was the first green Eel I remember seeing. I Dove at night for Flounder for yrs. Around the old Liberty Ships in Northern Gulf of Mexico. I sure miss it
Well done. Fantastic video. Morays are probably the only species I've seen that have zero issues swallowing lionfish. Even barracudas and scorpionfish are not too keen on them though they are definitely on the menu
Apparently by people having them in personal aquariums and then been released into the ocean. Lionfish lay thousands of eggs every few days. You can learn more if you Google: "lionfish problem" 😉
In the USVI, it's illegal to directly feed other creatures the lionfish. We cull them and leave them on the reef. We have been seeing fish (especially mutton snappers) acting like bird dogs - they will swim toward divers then toward the reef and back until you follow them or swim away. Almost every time I've followed them, there's been at least one lionfish where they took me. I'll cull them and leave them on the reef. Don't get lazy and leave your gloves at home - I was envenomated ("stung") in the pad of my thumb about 3 weeks ago. Doctor says it will probably be another 3 weeks before I'm back in the water...
Fish in the Gulf and Atlantic are learning how to eat these fish safely, hopefully others will learn from watching and that will weed them out quicker.
Had a Lion fish in my reef tank loved it such a Beautiful fish but very invasive species which I still had him but he died of old age but he was bigger than that one
Totally agree with you; lionfish is an extremely beautiful fish. It's really a shame to have to kill them... let's hope a predator arises soon in these waters so we can enjoy lionfish as part of the habitat
It's like being in a giant lung off the coast of Hawaii .. There's a strong surge as the cliifs and reef are porous . of course it varies from place to place. But the currents in between the islands in the channels are the strongest currents in the world. Maui and molokini a specially
🟦 That bone crunch (just after 2:47) was so satisfying,... I'm concerned though that the Moray might hurt itself getting the fish off the barbs of your "Sticker",... and whether or not it might be a good idea to just drop the fish to it with-OUT the sticker?
It's a valid concern. We normally try to remove the fish from the "Sticker" but in this case, the eel was so excited that we stayed away as a precaution
No, they don't. Eels actually love it and come for more every time we dive which is kind of dangerous for divers; Eels star to associate divers with food (lionfish) and they want more.
because the eel is dead. spines are a weapon, wielded as such consciously, not some kind of poison on a poison dart frog or a mushroom or a monarch butterfly. There is only one great ocean which is completely interconnected. Lionfish are inevitable members of the ecosystem. killing them is nothing more than ignorant cruelty. Let nature handle it's own affairs.
@@wilsonblauheuer6544 This is very wrong, ocean are connected, but that doesn't mean that mediterranean fish such as Lion Fish can cross the Atlantic by themselves. Their presence is wrong and should be eliminated.
@@wilsonblauheuer6544 Related to the Scorpion Fish and Stone fish, the Lion (or Turkey) Fish are equipped with highly poisonous spines. Unless the eel has some sort of immunity to the toxins, it is likely dead too! Thanks to a few nitwits on a fun dive! I have dived around Okinawa and observed one of these docile creatures that was the size of a basketball from just four feet away. I guess they had some toys to play with and instead of being adults exposed their ignorance of nature!
Did they catch the lion fish specifically to feed it to the eel? Or did they drop the lion fish by accident and the eel just happened to be there and snatch it up?
A school of those fish swam around me when I was in the Red Sea at about 30 feet down. I just hung out and waited. Did not want to get poked by those fins..
Yes, it's beautiful down there. Lionfish are venomous. However only in a few spines up and down. If those spines are removed, the fish is perfectly safe for human consumption. Eels are immune to lionfish venomous.
These are the asian carp of the coral reefs, they absolutely decimate reefs. They should never have been released into the caribbean, they have no predators and eat almost anything they can fit into their mouths. Seeing Eels and Groupers eating these is a really good sign, they can be very dangerous to most sea life because their spines have venomous barbs. Something tells me that eel found a way to get around them.
@@reduardocc Nature figures itself out. I don't think fish know the difference between the pacific or Atlantic and not everything will die with 100 quadrillion infinity fish in the ocean and one fish jumping oceans. Look at the American southern border . WIDE OPEN. America will get different demographics but in the end is all life on the planet meant to stay in one place unchanged forever? Leave the fish alone 😔 it's creepy.
Did y’all stick around to watch the eel and see if it showed any effects from eating the lion fish? I’ve always wondered if these groupers, sharks, and eels that have eaten lion fish experience pain or even death later.
They don't die. That's for sure. Next time we dive, the same eels are coming for more free food. This, in fact, creates another problem because now eels are associating divers with free fabulous meals, which is dangerous for divers... Thanks for asking 😉!
It may make eels associate divers with free meals but it will also make them associate lionfish as a good source and we need allies for ridding the Atlantic of lion fish. I just don’t want the ocean life we’re trying to train to eat lionfish to experience harmful reactions to the spines of the lion fish. I’m really skeptical of training fish to eat them because everyone says these animals aren’t phased by the lion fish’s spines which I find hard to believe because their spines are their defense.
Have to admit I'm confused. Supposedly Lionfish are protected because of their venomous fins. I've seen RU-vids of them being eaten by sharks, Groupers, Tarpon and eels with no apparent ill effects. Doesn't seem like much of a defense.
Will the potential predators develop immunity to the lion fish's venom? I have seen video of scorpionfish also devouring lionfish, sharks, large grouper, spines and all.
I think so. I see less and less lionfish lately. Predators might already be hunting them. I really hope so because we would stop hunting them. I would rather enjoy them as part of the ecosystem then hunting them trying to control their species.
I would be curious if big groupers or moreys catch on faster to this training. Groupers are also being over fished in many areas that lionfish are a problem. Stressing the apex fish doesn't help the issue. Awesome vid. Healthy reef and you get to play with moreys. Im envious. :-)
That Morey better stop eating my fish tacos. Lionfish are delicious and right there with hogfish, tilefish and snook as my all time favorite fish to eat.
Ingesting that lionfish was quite a job even for the morey. The eel fed upon a dead lionfish but actually hunting them seems more trouble than it's worth when easier prey is available.
Not about feeding the eel, its about getting the eels to recognize the invasive species lionfish as food. Once they realize its a food source they start eating em & help get rid of all em hopefully 1 day
Well, Lionfish are not as aggressive and dangerous to humans as feral pigs but they are an invasive species so they are (or were) growing without control. I believe that by now, there are new natural predators controlling lionfish population in the Caribbean so I think there is no need to hunt them anymore. 😉
man just in this short clip i counted about a dozen of the spiney little bastards.... its seriously that bad. im glad teaching predators to hunt them is working somewhat
