Scuba Diving in Playa Del Carmen is an amazing experience for divers of all skill levels. Whether it is diving for beginners or advanced dives, Diversity Diving has something for everyone. The Lionfish invasion has a significant impact on the reef systems throughout the Caribbean. Do your part to help save our reefs.

1. LIONFISH CONTAINMENTLIONFISH CONTAINMENT
Stopping the InvasionStopping the Invasion
PADI Lionfish ContainmentPADI Lionfish Containment
Distinctive SpecialtyDistinctive Specialty

2. INVASION OF THEINVASION OF THE
LIONFISHLIONFISH• Where did they come from?
• Why are they a problem?
• Lionfish biology
• Lionfish habitat and ecology
• Feeding Behavior
• Distribution around Playa Del Carmen
• What can we do about it?
• Lionfish monitoring
• Poisonous spine considerations
• Suggested method of capture
• Rules of spearing

3. WHERE DID THEY COMEWHERE DID THEY COME
FROM?FROM?
• Native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Red
Sea
• Two species introduced Pterois miles (confined to
BM and NC) and Pterois volitans (everywhere)
• Theory is that captive lionfish has been released or
escaped into the Atlantic ocean off of Florida (pet
trade)

4. WHERE DID THE COME FROM?WHERE DID THE COME FROM?
Lionfish have
established
throughout
most of the
Caribbean in
less than three
years.
The Lionfish
invasion range
is North
Carolina to
South America
including the
Gulf of Mexico

5. WHY ARE THEY AWHY ARE THEY A
PROBLEM?PROBLEM?-Lionfish have no natural predators in the
Caribbean-
Consequently, lionfish pose a threat to the integrity of
the reef food web and can have wide reaching impacts
on commercial fisheries, tourism, and overall coral reef
health

6. WHY ARE THEY AWHY ARE THEY A
PROBLEM?PROBLEM?• Lionfish are generalist carnivores that consume over 70 species
of fish and many invertebrate species – they are capable of eating
prey up to half their body length
• Their prey includes commercially, recreationally, and ecologically
important species
• Dense lionfish populations can consume more than 460,000 prey
fish/acre/year

7. WHY ARE THEY AWHY ARE THEY A
PROBLEM?PROBLEM?
On heavily invaded sites,
lionfish have reduced their fish
prey population by up to 90%
and continue to consume native
fishes at unsustainable rates
Lionfish are now colonizing mangroves and sea grass
which poses a major threat to juvenile reef fish. Lionfish
are found to have reduced juvenile fish population by
79% in a 2008 study.

8. LIONFISH BIOLOGYLIONFISH BIOLOGY
* Adults 42cm * Lifespan 5-10 years
2 venomous pelvic spines
13 venomous dorsal spines
non-venomous pectoral
spines
3 venomous anal spines

9. LIONFISH REPRODUCTIONLIONFISH REPRODUCTION
• Become sexually mature in less than a year and
spawn in pairs.
• Invasive lionfish reproduction occurs throughout the
year and as frequently as every 4 days (whereas
native Indo-Pacific lionfish breed only once a year).
• Females can release 30,000 eggs at one time and
they are dispersed by ocean currents.
• One female lionfish can lay over
2 million eggs/ year.

10. LIONFISH HABITAT ANDLIONFISH HABITAT AND
ECOLOGYECOLOGY
• Lionfish inhabit all marine habitat types (reefs, lagoons,
mangroves, grass beds, sand patches and artificial
substrates)
• Inhabit depths from shoreline to over 300m or 1000 feet.
• Are territorial so they may remain in the same site for up
to 7 months.

11. LIONFISH FEEDING BAHAVIORLIONFISH FEEDING BAHAVIOR
• Lionfish will consume until the supply of fish has run out.
• Stomach can expand to 30 times its regular size
• Appear to be attracted to cleaning stations
• Can survive for 12 weeks with no food
• Have a taste for fish and crustaceans

12. This 25 cm lionfish had 21 fish of different
sizes in his stomach, its an insatiable eater

13. MAP OF SIGHTINGSMAP OF SIGHTINGS
July 2009 to July 2014

14. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
•Educate and spread awareness on Lionfish.
•We need to be the main predator.
•Keep dive sites as free of Lionfish as possible.
•EAT THEM!! They are a delicious delicacy! Recipes can
be found online.
•Encourage local restaurants to serve
Lionfish and promote consumption by
community members.

15. • Local control efforts are critical for mitigating the effects of
lionfish on key marine habitats
•Local removal efforts can significantly
reduce lionfish densities and subsequent
impacts
• Efforts are invaluable for supporting
other conservation initiatives like
management of marine protected areas
and fish stock rebuilding
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

16. SUGGESTED METHODS OFSUGGESTED METHODS OF
CAPTURECAPTURE
• Net and stick
• Good for juveniles
• Hawaiian Slings
• Method to be demonstrated
• A tube container is recommended to store captured fish
• Quick and safe if done properly

17. BE CAREFUL, THEY AREBE CAREFUL, THEY ARE
VENEMOUSVENEMOUS•Venomous tissue within their spines
• Causes poisoning when it comes in contact with the skin
• Venomous tissue can still be active up to two hours after the fish h
died.
Symptoms:
•extreme pain
•swelling
•numbness
•blisters (sometimes)
•shock (depending on the individual)
•paralysis
•necrosis
•systematic afflictions (cardiac and nervous)
No deaths have been
recorded!

18. Lionfish venom can be neutralized with high temperatures,
therefore it is recommended to apply hot water (45°C or as hot as
you can withstand it) on the area that was stung, for a period of
two hours or until the pain diminishes
You can use a wet t-shirt and heat it up with the boats engine.
Every organism has a different reaction to the venom, visit a
doctor if needed.
TREATMENTTREATMENT

19. IMPORTANT RULES WHEN
SPEARING
1. Safety !! Safety !! Safety !! - it is a weapon
2. Brief people before the dive
• i.e. spearing will be occurring in the near vicinity
3. Make sure you have a safe shot available
• Clear 3m circle around you
• Make sure people are behind you
4. Consider the reef around you
• don’t hit anything…especially coral
Never point it at anyone!!

20. ONCE CAUGHT, NOW WHAT?
Leave it at the site
OR
If you want to bring it back to eat
Be aware that it is a safety concern –
use a plastic tube

21. • Spears MUST ONLY be used by qualified experienced divers
• Brief the boat before a dive to inform other divers that a spear
will be used for Lionfish during the dive. Explain why there is a
need for Lionfish Containment. Perception is everything
• Be aware of your depth and no deco time when using the spear.
• Buoyancy, trim, propulsion, and then spearing
• Avoid putting more than 1 lionfish on the spear - it’s the number
1 cause of being stuck !!
• It is ILLEGAL to spear any other fish !!
SPEAR USE FOR PLAYA DELSPEAR USE FOR PLAYA DEL
CARMENCARMEN

22. • Spears and spear guns are NOT illegal in Playa Del
Carmen, Mexico
• Lionfish containment is allowed.
• This is not always the case in other countries. Honduras
requires all spears to be registered with the government
and all Lionfish hunters must be licensed.
*CHECK LOCAL REGULATIONS BEFORE
HUNTING*