Have you guys seen this video from the New York Post?

[reeferindc]

http://nypost.com/2015/02/26/lionfish-stalked-and-devoured-by-grouper-in-shocking-video/

 

 

 

Copy and paste link in your browser

[DuffyGeos]

Very interesting video. To me it looks like the grouper prevented the lionfish from going in a recessed area and herded him into the openwater so he could attack from what ever side he wanted. The first bite looks like it was to the rear and underside of the lionfish, but I am not sure which angle he gobbled he up in one bite. I would wonder is that grouper had any health problems after eating the lionfish with all of those poisonous spikes!

[Coral Hind]

That was pretty cool. I agree it did herd it out of the cave. Once in open water the lionfish ascended while always keeping the spines toward the grouper. The grouper looked to already have scars on his face from other lionfish spines. Hopefully this grouper passes on the hunting trait to other groupers.

[reeferindc]

Does anyone know if groupers are immune to lionfish poison?

[Coral Hind]

I don't think it is enough to kill them, probably just causes pain like when the lionfish stick us. Just a bad wasp sting. To a grouper the pain might be worth the easy catch of a fat meal. 

[Bruleyii]

Ive heard lion fish is tasty. Grouper dont care. (honey badger reference)

[Happyfeet]

Does anyone know if groupers are immune to lionfish poison?

 

Lionfish aren't poisonous, they are venomous. 

 

This is anecdotal, but lionfish venom doesn't seem to affect other predatory fish, I've seen fish (Grouper, Trigger, Shark) eat lionfish after being speared. I've seen them being eaten whole and torn to bits, either way none of the fish involved seem to notice the venom.

 

I really hate seeing videos like this get passed around, not because they aren't cool, but because people don't understand the truth. It lends to the belief these fish are coming to the rescue of our reefs and undermines the public support of conservation efforts. Evolutionary traits like these usually take thousands of years to develop, this is an outlier not the norm.

[madweazl]

Cool video for sure. 

[Bruleyii]

looks like the grouper has started to figure out how to eat the lion fish. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96lYC6sYMgA#action=share

[DaveS]

Very interesting videos!  This has got to be learned behavior.  Neither lionfish nor groupers would normally ascend 60+ feet off a reef into open water like that- especially into a group of divers.  Obviously the lionfish did it to get the heck away from the grouper and the grouper did it for lunch.

 

My guess is that the dynamic is probably the result of divers spearing lionfish and feeding them to the groupers afterwards.  Eventually the groupers figured out they are food and learned to kill them themselves.

 

The second video is especially funny because:

 

1) some reefer thought he had a free addition to his FOWLER...

2) everyone was so delighted to see the grouper eat the lionfish that they started petting it like a dog afterwards... "Good boy! That's a good grouper...."

[Bruleyii]

I noticed the patting of the fish too. It was also a bit funny to see the fish stop being completely aggressive and just hang out afterwards. Might have been the lionfish venom.