The invasive lionfish is an ecological problem for Curacao. The venomous lionfish feature long, fan-like fins, thick tentacles, and stripes that resemble zebras in shades of brown, red, and white. Originally from the Indian and South Pacific oceans, they were brought to the warm tropical seas off the Atlantic coast of Florida probably in the late 1980s. It is hypothesized that they were released from marine aquariums, while the precise cause is unknown. They arrived at Curacao’s coral reef and the Caribbean coast by the early 2000s, where diving plays a major role in the local economy and job market.
Because of their frightening rate of reproduction—females lay over two million eggs annually—and their tendency to consume smaller local fish as they grow, lionfish are not a welcome species anyplace.
