Monday, April 11, 2011

Sharks being taught to eat non-native Lionfish (in the Caribbean)


About 10 years ago, moron saltwater aquarium enthusiasts* released unwanted Lionfish (native to The Indian and Pacific oceans) into natural reefs in the Caribbean and American southeast. The problem with them being non-native is a lack of predators and an abundance of prey (see: Zebra mussels in the Great Lakes). Yes Lionfish are awesome, but not when they destroy an ecosystem they were never meant for.

So the solution? SHARKS! They're being trained(~) to eat the alien fish. God I can't wait for Shark week.

Source -> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/pictures/110404-sharks-lionfish-alien-fish-invasive-species-science/

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Another problem is the scavenging of reefs from less developed countries in the right part of the world for this resource (Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga) for Liverock, of which only a small portion actually survives, poorly. If you want a saltwater tank, there are ways to safely and responsibly do it, starting here -> http://tbsaltwater.com/ If you buy Liverock from Petco, I guarantee the "live" is being used rather loosely.



*emphasis on moron, I used to have several aquariums, both fresh and salt. By no means are all aquarium enthusiasts morons. Morons are when people just say "saltwater is saltwater" or (potentially even worse) "freshwater is freshwater" and mix things together that were never meant to live together. Then they get tired of it and release it into the wild into a "close enough" environment.

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