The Lionfish

The non-indigionous aquatic species are identified as a distinct brown or maroon, and white stripes or bands covering the head and body. Fleshy tentacles above their eyes and below the mouth; fan-like pectoral fins; long, separated dorsal spines; 13 dorsal spines; 10-11 dorsal soft rays; 3 anal spines; and 6-7 anal soft rays. An adult lionfish can grow as large as 18 inches, while juveniles may be as small as 1 inch or less. Lionfish have cycloid

California Sea Lions are found off the west coast primarily in the Channel Islands off the California coast. Males can reach up to 850 pounds,

In 2008 the U.S Army Corps of Engineers observed 17 Steller Sea Lions eat 606 White Sturgeon below the Bonneville Dam. Which counted for 98 percent of the predation documented by sea Lions on Sturgeon that year. While California Sea Lions counted for 96 percent of the predation on Salmon and Steelhead that Year. As the facts shows the Steller Sea Lion is mainly the one preying on the White Sturgeon and the California Sea Lion is mainly preying on the

Blackfish was released on the 19th of July 2013 in New York. Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s award-winning documentary is about a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people. This documentary explores the different stories of Tilikum’s attacks and the reasons for why these accidents are occurring in the sea park industry.

The 2013 Documentary Blackfish directed by Gabriela Cowparthwaite brings us the story of Sea World, Orcas or also known as “Killer Whales”, and the death of Dawn Brancheau who was a the senior trainer at Sea World. The documentary presents many emotional feelings us humans have toward these Orcas, everything from from love to anxiety to fear to wonder. In the wild Orcas are viewed as beautiful, majestic and charismatic beasts that have never harmed a human being, but in captivity Orcas have the persona of vicious killers. Blackfish raises question about these intelligent animals, do Orcas kill because they are in captivity? Do Orcas finally lose patience’s with its trainers and react to end the nonsense humans have forced upon them?

Steller sea lions have few predators. Their main predators are killer whales, Great white sharks, Pacific sleeper sharks, and humans. Steller sea lions defend themselves by outswimming their predators. They can also sense when predators are nearby and their biggest defense is to get onto land. Their preys are the wide range of animals that they feed on. They track their behavior by diving deep as the prey moves deeper, and they gather in groups in locations that have seasonal runs of fish.

Most people would not appreciate a stranger walking into their home unannounced, taking their food, and making themselves at home. That is exactly what lionfish are doing along the Florida coastline. Lionfish are an invasive species that need to be contained. The reefs that they consistently invade off of the coast of the Florida are not the lionfish's natural habitat. This invasive species takes shelter and resources out of the reef that other species need to survive, and they destroy the environment around them. Humans have complicated the balance of the ecosystem by introducing lionfish, and now they need to help rectify the situation.

Use your sentence starters handout (Page 25)! CER CHART QUESTION (Use the same question from the Lionfish CER document we have been working on): How could the growth of the lionfish population in the Atlantic Ocean affect marine life?

Jacques Cousteau (1973), states “Their stings are considered more dangerous than sculpins’ and stingrays’ and may be fatal to man.” They are very lethal, and can take out predators with their stings. With a large amount of lionfish, it could easily disrupt a whole food chain. They kill off almost all fish in an area. Lionfish are usually pretty high on the food chain away from their natural environment.

A venomous marine fish, known as the Lionfish, is native to tropical regions in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew tore through South Florida and was labeled the most destructive hurricane in the history of the United States. The category five storm is thought to have caused the accidental introduction of the species into FLorida. An aquarium was devastated by the winds, and released several Lionfish into Biscayne Bay. That, along with owners who became dissatisfied with the animals after realizing they’d eat other fish, and ignorantly set them free in the Atlantic, allowed the organisms to populate the waters very quickly.

In the Documentary Blackfish, directed by Gabriel Cowperthwaite, the hidden secrets of SeaWorld are revealed, exposing a company that is filled with lies, danger, and recklessness. The treatment of the animals and trainers that SeaWorld has put in effect is not only unfair, but also cruel. Throughout most people’s childhood, they would recall SeaWorld as a magical and amazing place that they have either heard about or seen for themselves. The message being sent across through this documentary is that SeaWorld is not as wonderful of a place as everyone thinks it is, in reality it is a brutal and harsh community, where death strikes often and anyone could be the next victim.

Lionfish have a wide spread diet, meaning that they consume several different species. In fact, they have even threatened species that scientists and marine biologists have yet to discover. If that was not already a gigantic problem, they also digest several other fish only found in certain parts of the ocean. This means that without much effort, various specimens of fish will go extinct. This will ultimately end with empty coral reefs and void like oceans, devoid of life as a total. An article titled 'Twilight Zone' Horror Story: Lionfish prey on Unknown Fish Species, clearly states

They feed during the day and at night on fishes and cephalopods, and they are known to attack smaller dolphins that are involved in the tuna purse-seine fishery in the Pacific Ocean.[4]

These fish have several spines throughout their body (all on their many fins) that contain toxic substance. No predator wants to eat that. These fish are also unique in the way that they have behavioral defense against predators as well. Lionfish, “…do not flee but rather display their dorsal and pectoral fins equipped with venomous spines.” (Jessica L. Diller, Thomas K. Frazer, Charles A. Jacoby, 2014, p.46). Potential species that may prey on lionfish are confused and deterred by this kind of behavior from a potential prey item.

Majestic, noble, and brave, this famous iconic wild animal on the planet has captivated the people since the beginning of time. They are most feared by other animals thus, known as the king of the jungle – no other than the lions. Member of the genus Panthera, the lion is one of the big cats in the Felidae family. A lion’s head and body size average about 4.5 to 6.5 feet and tail of about 26 to 40 inches in length. A lion also weighs about 265 up to 420 pounds and a size relative to a 6-foot human. These mammals are also carnivores. Lions have always seen hunting in groups called pride. While lions generally avoid a full-grown elephant, lions still prefer their preys large like the zebras, buffaloes, and giraffes. Poised as the top animal in the ecological pyramid, lions have strong physical qualities, fascinating reputation, and an unfortunate decreasing number of population.