In Hawaii we have two species of poisonous lionfish. The red lionfish grows to about eight inches long, and the green lionfish grows to about six inches long. Both are native to Hawaii and are quite common in certain areas, but rarely seen by divers. The Hawaiian name for this fish, honu pinao, means dragonfly.
In Hawaii we have two species of poisonous lionfish. The red lionfish grows to about eight inches long, and the green lionfish grows to about six inches long. Both are native to Hawaii and are quite common in certain areas, but rarely seen by divers. The Hawaiian name for this fish, “honu pinao,” means “dragonfly.”
These very-colorful fish have poisonous spines and should never be touched or speared. They are very tame, and when approached by divers they flare out and rotate their poison-tipped, modified fins. The red lionfish usually is found in deep-water caves from 40 to 80 feet deep, but the green lionfish is common in shallow water at places like Anini Beach. People do not see them often because they are more active at night, when they hunt for small crabs and shrimp. Even though the lionfish moves slowly most of the time, they can gulp down an unwary crab at lightning speed.
We need these lionfish on our Hawaiian coral reefs and they are a natural part of our fish population, but this is not the case in other parts of the world like the Caribbean. Lionfish are not native to the Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Ocean, but they were introduced to that part of the world when they escaped from aquarium dealers during a hurricane in Florida. Since then the lionfish have spread all throughout the Caribbean, eating up much of the native reef fish population and devastating entire reef systems.
Currently there is a big effort by divers in the Caribbean to spear and remove as many lionfish as possible, and there are restaurants that specialize in lionfish dinners. The larger species of lionfish is very good to eat, and divers have developed ways to spear the fish safely and put them in plastic containers so they do not get poked by the poisonous spines. I am making a full documentary movie about the lionfish-removal project in the Caribbean, which I will post on the Facebook page under my name soon.
Sometimes in Hawaii divers from out of the area spear our native lionfish thinking they are an invasive species, so there is an educational program we have set up letting divers know that we need to protect this beautiful fish in our Hawaiian waters.
You can see nohu in action on my web in my movie “The World’s Guide To Hawaiian Reef Fish,” at www.underwater2web.com, and also visit with the green lionfish in person through the marine science kids camp through the nonprofit reefguardianshawaii at reefguardianshawaii.org.
Aloha from under the surf.
•••
Terry Lilley, a marine biologist, lives in Hanalei. His websites include underwater-2web.com and www.gofundme.com/5urrm4zw.
