Think you have a world, country or state record lionfish for largest lionfish caught by spear, in a net or on a fishing pole? Take a clear photo of it next to any standard tape measure or ruler measuring from the tip of the lips to the tip of the tail and send it to us via email here.

World Record LionfishThe lionfish must be photographed whole and the body must be intact, though dorsal, pelvic and anal spines may be cut off in the interest of diver safety. The tape measure must lie flat on the measuring surface.

It is best to submit multiple camera angles to ensure accurate evaluation.

We accept potential-record submissions from legally harvested non-native* invasive lionfish taken by freedivers and scuba divers using a spear (speargun, hawaiian sling, pole spear, ELF, etc) or hand-held net and anglers using a hook & line. Lionfish taken by cast nets, trawl nets, seine nets, etc., or from traps will not be considered.

All sizes are rounded down to the nearest centimeter. Lionfish must be at least one (1) centimeter larger than the current record holder to qualify for a new or subsequent record. Lionfish must be at least 36 centimeters (approximately 14 inches) to qualify for any vacant record.

In reference to identically-sized fish: the potential record submission entered first will stand as the qualifying record unless a Lionfish Hunters convened panel of not less than three (3) judges determines otherwise.

All decisions of Lionfish Hunters certifying officials are final and subject to published Lionfish Hunters regulations, verification and clarification. By sending in images for records submission, submitter certifies that they are the copyright owner of that image and grants the Lionfish Hunters an irrevocable license to use images on it’s website, social media accounts and in other derivative images that might be produced.

Current “Vacant Records” include all non-native* largest lionfish caught on “Hook & Line,” Breath-Hold Diving and from any unlisted countries and individual states of the United States bordered by the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico where it is legal to harvest lionfish for sporting purposes.

The Lionfish Hunters acknowledges that there might have been bigger, longer, larger lionfish caught and recorded by the scientific community or by other sportsmen prior to the establishment of the Lionfish Hunters Unified Records program. However, if we do not have a potential-record entry of the fish as outlined by our regulations defining record submission requirements it is not in the spirit of the program to formally acknowledge the catch.

*Non-native invasive lionfish records submissions will only be considered from the following countries, nations and territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Navassa Island, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustasius, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, United States Virgin Islands, Uruguay and Venezuela. Record submissions from lionfish legally harvested from the Mediterranean Sea are currently being considered pending further research.