The myth behind the Lionfish in the Caribbean is that they were brought to this side of the world in the bilge of a freighter and got released into the water. They have no natural predators in the Caribbean, so they are thriving. They are voracious hunters and eat many different types of fish. Many Caribbean islands mandate the hunting and killing of the Lionfish to get rid of them. Restaurants even offer Lionfish on their menus. They are pretty but, unfortunately, have a bad name in the Caribbean.
The spines on a Lionfish are venomous, so a diver doesn’t want to get too close.
