The following post on The Abaco Scientist blog (http://absci.fiu.edu/) documenting a double-crested cormorant eating a lionfish in the Florida Keys recently caught our eye and we secured permission to share the posting with our readers. Nature adapts to many environmental threats, including invasive species. This is just one example. If you observe any other winged hunters enjoying a lionfish dinner, be sure to let The Abaco Scientist (and us) know! And, don’t forget to check out The Abaco Scientist, “your one-stop source for all things science on Abaco and throughout The Bahamas.”
I guess humans with pole spears aren’t the only air-breathing threat to Atlantic and Caribbean lionfish! While reports of predation on lionfish by grouper, snapper, and moray eels have emerged, we’ve largely ignored the possibility that certain avian predators, like this double-crested cormorant, may also enjoy an occasional serving of lionfish sashimi.
Kaye DeHays of Ft. Myers Beach, Florida, stumbled upon this incredible scene while lobstering near Summerland Key in late August. Just moments earlier, she observed this same cormorant surface with a smaller lionfish in its bill. Kaye reports that the bird had no trouble swallowing its spiny prey. As she reached for her camera, the bird made another dive, apparently not satisfied with its snack. Incredibly, the cormorant surfaced a few minutes later with a second lionfish, about three times the size of the first. Kaye watched the bird for almost ten minutes as it tried to negotiate the lionfish into a headfirst position. Not one to quit easily, the bird eventually managed to swallow this impressive mouthful as well. It’s pretty clear that lionfish populations aren’t going to be kept in check by any one predatory species, but it certainly is nice to see a new species giving it a try. Now too bad there aren’t otters with a fondness for lionfish out on the reef!
Posted by Zack Jud, Ph.D. Student
zackjud@gmail.com
More photos of the double-crested cormorant eating lionfish from Kaye DeHays:
[monoslideshow id=5]