Florida reef diver packs container full of invasive lionfish — and one is a monster

A Florida reef cleanup expert showed off a container with invasive lionfish, including one especially massive catch.

What happened?

In a TikTok post, the team behind Lionfish Extermination Corp. shared footage from Fort Lauderdale of a diver who speared and collected lionfish. "The first dive was absolutely insane!" the caption stated.

Once the diver was back aboard the boat, he dumped the catch from a packed "zookeeper," a container used to safely hold the venomous fish. 

@lionfishextermination The first dive was absolutely insane! 😎 #invasivespecies #lionfishculling #lionfishguy #lionfishextermination #MerchAvailable @Alex Borsutzky ♬ original sound - Lionfish Extermination Corp

"I can't fit another fish in this thing," the diver says, with the haul coming to about two dozen lionfish. 

After going through the pile, he lifts out one large fish and says, "Look at this thing."

Beyond showing the haul, the video doubles as an appeal for support. The creator says merchandise sales cover trips "to get out here to Fort Lauderdale and catch these lionfish" and urges viewers to follow the account and back the reef protection effort.

"Honestly amazing what you guys do. Best of luck," one person said in the comments.

 Another added, "Thanks to you and your channel I had lionfish in the Keys last week."

Why does it matter?

Lionfish are an invasive species in Florida and across much of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Because they reproduce quickly and feed on native fish and crustaceans, they can put major stress on reef ecosystems already dealing with warming waters, pollution, and habitat loss.

Healthy reefs support fishing economies, tourism, and coastal communities while also giving native marine life a chance to recover. Repeated efforts such as this can ease pressure on reef habitats.

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