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It is a beautiful fish. Maroon and white stripes, fins like feathers, and a slow, confident hover over the reef. It is also one of the biggest problems on the reefs off Palm Beach County, and it is one problem where an ordinary diver, angler or diner can actually help.

This week's Tides & Taps is about the lionfish: how it got here, why it matters to the reef, what the rules are if you want to take some out, and what to do this month even if you never get wet.

How a Pacific fish ended up on our reef

Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea. According to NOAA's Ocean Service, the first one was reported in South Florida waters in 1985, they were documented as established by the early 2000s, and they may have been released into the Atlantic on purpose. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) now finds them year-round in Florida waters, in almost every marine and estuarine habitat, from North Carolina down to South America.

Two things make them so hard to dislodge. NOAA says lionfish have no known predators here, and a mature female releases roughly two million eggs a year. They breed all year long.

Why the reef cares

Lionfish eat what our native reef fish eat, and they eat our native reef fish. NOAA says they take more than 50 species and compete with already overfished snapper and grouper. NOAA Fisheries puts a hard number on it: a single lionfish living on a coral reef can reduce recruitment of native reef fish, meaning the young fish that settle there and grow up, by 79 percent.

The damage reaches the coral too. Lionfish eat grazers, and NOAA Fisheries notes that fewer herbivores can leave algae on a reef unchecked. NOAA's Ocean Service warns that lionfish could kill off helpful algae-eaters such as parrotfish, letting seaweed take over a reef. If you read our August post on Florida's Coral Reef, you know that reef runs right past us, north to the St. Lucie Inlet.

The good news: people are pulling them out

Florida has made lionfish removal about as easy as fishing rules get, and divers are using it. FWC's 2026 Lionfish Challenge ran from May 22 to September 14. FOX 35 Orlando reported that 533 registered participants removed 36,187 lionfish, about 5,000 more than the year before. The top diver alone brought in 1,541.

Removal does not end when the Challenge does. Lionfish season never closes.

If you dive: the rules in plain English

These are FWC's recreational rules for lionfish in Florida state and federal waters. Check the FWC lionfish page before you go, because rules can change.

• No fishing license needed if you are using a pole spear, a Hawaiian sling, a handheld net, or a spearing device made only for lionfish.
• Hook and line is different. Catch one that way and you need a recreational license, unless you are exempt.
• No minimum size and no daily bag limit. Take as many as you safely can.
• Open all year. There is no closed season.
• Spearing still has limits. No spearing within 100 yards of a public swimming beach, a commercial or public fishing pier, or a bridge where public fishing is allowed, and there are jetty limits too. Handheld nets are allowed in those places.

Respect the spines

FWC says a lionfish carries up to 18 venomous spines on its dorsal, pelvic and anal fins. A sting can cause swelling, blistering, dizziness and worse. If one gets you, FWC's advice is to soak the wound in hot water, not scalding, for 30 to 90 minutes. NOAA says to get medical attention right away. Divers who hunt them usually wear puncture-resistant gloves and carry a container made for lionfish.

The meat is a different story. NOAA Fisheries says lionfish meat is considered safe to eat, and that ciguatera from lionfish is very rare. It is the spines that sting.

Five things to do this month

1. Order it when you see it. NOAA Fisheries says there is a small food market for lionfish. If a fish counter or a menu offers it, buying it helps make removal worth a diver's time.
2. Report what you see. Spotted one on a dive or snorkel? Log it with REEF's nonnative species sighting form or the USGS sighting report. Those reports show where the fish are spreading.
3. Gear up before your next dive. A pole spear, puncture-resistant gloves and a proper container are all most divers need. Read the FWC rules first.
4. Save the hotline. If you or someone you know has a pet lionfish that cannot stay in its tank, never release it. Call FWC at 888-IVE-GOT-1.
5. Mark next spring. The Lionfish Challenge runs through the summer. Watch FWC's Challenge page for next year's dates.

November is good diving weather here, and an afternoon on the patio is a fine way to finish a reef day. The Reef Room is the first building off the I-95 Atlantic Ave exit in Delray Beach. Trivia, bingo and the weekly food trucks are all on our events page. Bring your dive stories, and leave the spines behind.

The Saltwater Brewery Team