"They are generally resistant to parasites and grow quickly, effectively out-competing native species for food and habitat. Lionfish constitute a broad-scale threat to marine biodiversity throughout the Caribbean." Tim Austin, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands

"You have to be slow and careful and you have to treat them with respect. We have found they are quite clever. So if you move too quickly and scare the fish off, they will remember you and when you get close again they will retreat immediately." Simon Dixon, lionfish hunter, Cayman Islands

"This fish has everything going for it — it has venomous spines, it eats everything, and to top it off, it has these eggs that free float." Paula Whitfield, marine biologist, NOAA

"At present, the only solution to the invasion is for divers to remove lionfish from the reefs." Mark Hixon, marine biologist, Oregon State University