Lionfish — a spiny, striped invasive species found off the coast of Florida — has become a major threat to the coral reefs surrounding the state since they were first reported in 1985.

Thousands of invasive lionfish have been captured as part of Florida's 2022 Lionfish Challenge. The three-month challenge took part from May to September and saw 25,299 lionfish caught, the ...

They were first sighted in Florida waters in 1985. A single lionfish can devastate native fish along stretches of Atlantic reefs. Last year’s winner, Baye Beauford, 45, ...

They were first sighted in Florida waters in 1985. A single lionfish can devastate native fish along stretches of Atlantic reefs. Last year’s winner, Baye Beauford, 45, ...

Average for lionfish is 12 to 15 inches off Florida, but diver Dyllan Camplejohn of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, caught a 17.95-inch lionfish in the tournament, officials said.

FLORIDA - Hundreds of divers have successfully removed a record-breaking 31,773 invasive lionfish from Florida waters in a stunning display of conservation efforts. The annual Lionfish Challenge ...

The beautiful fish threaten Florida's reef ecosystems so dangerously that the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has organized contests to reward divers who kill and remove them.

The recently concluded ninth edition of the FWC Lionfish Challenge has exceeded all expectations, with participants removing a record-breaking 31,773 lionfish from Florida's waters. The 285 ...

Folklore says a hurricane ripped through southeastern Florida in 1985 and smashed open a wealthy person’s aquarium that held about 100 lionfish. The fish escaped, survived — and flourished.

The lionfish is a predatory reef fish native to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. They have been reported on Florida's coast since 1985 and have caused damage due to eating native fish.

Participants in FL’s annual lionfish removal competition caught more than 31,000 of the invasive and venomous fish species, the FWC said.