Moray eels documeted eating lionfish for the first time

by | Apr 24, 2017 | Advanced Aquarist | 0 comments


Moray eels documeted eating lionfish for the first time


Dinner?

Researchers in the Red Sea documented moral eel preying on lionfish for the first time.  Gymnothorax moral eel were recorded hunting the lionfish, Pterois miles, whose natural range extends from the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific.  The video is truly remarkable.

Approximately two decades ago, this lionfish species was introduced into the Atlantic.  Since then, their population has ballooned into the millions because neither the prey or predators in the Atlantic know what to make of this alien fish.

Might moray eels in the Caribbean learn to hunt lionfish as well?    In fact, divers in the Caribbean have been trying to give nature a head start by feeding culled lionfish to moray eels in hopes of training the local eels to recognize lionfish as prey.

  • I'm a passionate aquarist of over 30 years, a coral reef lover, and the blog editor for Advanced Aquarist. While aquarium gadgets interest me, it's really livestock (especially fish), artistry of aquariums, and "method behind the madness" processes that captivate my attention.

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