Lionfish...love 'em for their beauty, hate 'em for what they've become because of it.
This was one of my absolute favorite species as a child - they're just so beautiful and captivating!!! Unfortunately, that beauty put them into aquariums in homes far from their natural habitat, and their ravenous appetite became too much for many an aquarium hobbyist. So, down the toilet they went, and into our oceans their wrath was released.
Now with no natural predators, these beautiful beasts are taking over many once-flourishing fisheries - please do some research and learn how you can help stop their spread!
One easy way is by eating them - they are an absolutely DELICIOUS meat, even as sashimi so it isn't asking much :). Loving their meat is actually the inspiration behind this original piece - it's one of BlueGabe's favorites!
If you aren't aware of who he is, go check out his YouTube channel for some great videos on all things outdoor Florida:
https://www.youtube.com/c/BluegabeArrington
I was commissioned to create this piece by a buddy of his, and I was BEYOND stoked to get started on one of my childhood favorites!
Here's a few still photos of the progress:
Finally, the finished piece for him to serve ALLLLL the lionfish he can eat!
