Scientists have discovered a dramatic increase in the population of Venomous Lionfish that prowl Caribbean waters. The Red Lionfish, a tropical native of the Pacific, is showing up all over Atlantic, from Cuba to Little Cayman, and even as far north as Rhode Island.

From The Associated Press:

"This may very well become the most devastating marine invasion in history," said Mark Hixon, an Oregon State University marine ecology expert who compared lionfish to a plague of locusts. "There is probably no way to stop the invasion completely."

A white creature with maroon stripes, the red lionfish has the face of an alien and the ribbony look of something that survived a paper shredder with poisonous spikes along its spine to ward off enemies.

Some researchers believe this particular species of mass reproducing Lionfish were introduced into the Atlantic in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew shattered an aquarium, spilling six of them into Biscayne Bay. Others are looking at a more diabolical source: The second wave of attacks in Communist Cuba’s mad quest to control the seas.

From The Times Online:

The research, conducted at 20 centres across Europe, was originally intended to establish whether octopuses favoured one side over the other, as people do, or were multidextrous.

Toys including a Rubik’s Cube were placed in the octopus tanks and a careful watch was made of which limbs the animal used to play with them.

Claire Little, who led the research at Weymouth, where the project was devised, said: “We’ve found that octopuses effectively have six arms and two legs. “ It had been thought they used four tentacles for movement and the other four for feeding and manipulating objects, but observations showed that they use the rearmost two to get around over rocks and the seabed.

About playing Parcheesi; I was just joking. They’re supposedly really good. Is there anything octopi can’t do, really? Love, you say? I beg to differ…

Hi All

Looking to plan a dive trip for mid 2008, can anyone advise where the best diving is to be found in the Philippine region..

Many thanks

John