Lionfish swimming off the coast of Indonesia

© David Fleetham/Visuals Unlimited, Inc.

Lionfish swimming off the coast of Indonesia

Native to the waters of the Indo-Pacific region, the 12 recognized species of lionfish all sport venomous spikes in their fin rays. Their wild coloration acts as a warning to predators: Eat at your own risk. But across the eastern seaboard of the United States, there’s a campaign encouraging humans to eat lionfish. Why? Because at some point in the 1990s, one or more species of lionfish was introduced to the waters of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. The invasive lionfish will eat nearly anything they can, and as a result, are decimating native fish populations. Would you eat a lionfish? (Properly prepared, of course.)