Lionfish in the Atlantic - Aquarists to blame?

[justinl]

true, mother nature is a tough cookie and will likely rebound from whatever we throw at (or into) her. that said, what will it cost? Lions reproduce quickly, are well defended with venomous spines and eat ANYTHING they can fit in their very large mouths. If a lion population gets a good hold, you can say goodbye to a lot of small fish species in the Atlantic. if they don't go extinct, they will at least be driven to low abundance.