Nassau grouper eats Lionfish

Photo credit: Lyle Gremillion
Apparently, this is the first recording of predation of the Lionfish by native grouper. This is indeed good news - for both the ecology of the reefs, and for the Nassau grouper: Lionfish populations are exploding, as numbers of Nassau grouper dwindle. The IUCN lists the Nassau as endangered. Click here to read about the natural history of the Lionfish. It's interesting that the grouper is swallowing the lionfish tail-first. This is not an unusual form of feeding, but it is curious here because the lionfish spines are highly venomous...