Many of you know that my Dad passed away this past September. Well, about 2 years before he died he gave me his 1 year-old Lionfish because it was destroying his reef tank. I have had him ever since. He has since outgrown his tank, so I decided to donate him to the Natural Science Center in Greensboro in memory of my Father. My nephews and neice go up there at least once a week, so I figured it would be so nice for them to show all of their friends "Pappy's Fish".

I dropped him off today, and he now has a permanent home in their Aquatics exhibit as their ONLY Lionfish. There will also be a plaque placed on the exhibit that reads: "Donated in Loving Memory of Rick Stine" (My Dad). If you are from Greensboro, live in Greensboro, or are ever visiting Greensboro, please go by and check him out!


Last day in his dirty old home



In his transport vessel



Getting placed in his new home by Natural Science Center Curator Rick Boling.



Checking out his new crib



Me watching him from behind the exhibit



One more close-up

2/25/2009 5:43:24 PM

that's so cool
I love fish!

2/25/2009 5:44:25 PM

yeah, he's pretty badass. i really hated to part with him, but they will take awesome care of him. and i know my Dad is smiling right now knowing that so many people get to enjoy him

2/25/2009 5:45:43 PM

at least you didn't release it back into the ocean.

2/25/2009 5:46:31 PM

Now I know which entree to not order at a sushi joint

2/25/2009 5:47:06 PM

i think the picture of me watching from behind the tank is pretty sweet

2/25/2009 5:47:52 PM

i bet its an emotional day for you. cool fish though

2/25/2009 5:49:03 PM

Especially considering the dream I had last night, but TWW is not a blog. It was a very happy day.

2/25/2009 5:51:39 PM

And by the way, when you see my dad

Tell him I slit his throat in a dream I had

2/25/2009 5:52:48 PM

hmmm... tasty!

2/25/2009 5:54:40 PM

awesome thing to do. gg!

how long do these things live?

2/25/2009 5:57:50 PM

awesome fish, and awesome that it was donated in your dad's memory

2/25/2009 5:59:53 PM

Greensboro has a Natural Science Center?

Natural Science Center/Intolerance and "Nigger Hating" Center/Beat Your Wife Center in Greensboro



[Edited on February 25, 2009 at 6:03 PM. Reason : d]

2/25/2009 6:00:15 PM

he said greensboro, not goldsboro

2/25/2009 6:00:54 PM

http://www.natsci.org/

nonono that's our Civic Science Center

2/25/2009 6:01:20 PM

I've seen anything from 10 - 15 years

2/25/2009 6:01:25 PM

I know what he said

2/25/2009 6:01:31 PM

hey don't say nigger jaybee

2/25/2009 6:02:25 PM

its ok, I used quotes






or at least I did now

2/25/2009 6:03:12 PM

Quote :

"how long do these things live?"

yeah, they typically live about 10 years as said earlier by TOE. The one they had at the Natural Science Center before was 12 when it died.

2/25/2009 6:05:50 PM

that's really cool.

2/25/2009 6:05:54 PM

I am cleaning out his old tank now. Man, 2 year-old gravel filled with fish shit and rotten food sure doesn't smell good.

2/25/2009 6:08:14 PM

did we ever decide what kind of lionfish he was??

2/25/2009 6:35:47 PM

that is awesome

i want a fish!

2/25/2009 6:37:56 PM

Either a Volitans or a Russell's. The curator at the Science Center (A Marine Biologist with over 30 years of aquatics experience) thinks it is a Volitans, but said he had never seen coloring that brilliant on either breed. He said he was going to consult some pictures. However I will say this, for the first time today I got a good look at him under some really good lighting, and he has spots on his tailfin. So now I am leaning towards Russell's.

2/25/2009 6:41:48 PM

Yay fish!

2/25/2009 6:49:02 PM

^I'd say Russell's. We have Volitans at work, yours doesn't have the little "eyebrows."

2/25/2009 6:52:05 PM

Although Rick said that he is already bigger than the 12 year old Volitans they had that just died, and typically Russell's don't get that big

2/25/2009 6:54:57 PM

Quote :

"I am cleaning out his old tank now. Man, 2 year-old gravel filled with fish shit and rotten food sure doesn't smell good. "

ugh there goes my dinner

when i read the first part i kept waiting for you to say he died and i was going to be but you never did so

2/25/2009 6:56:13 PM

maybe it is a crazy hybrid that came from fucked up fish store water impurities

2/25/2009 6:56:29 PM

Well I did test the water for shits and giggles after I took him out and the Nitrates were off the fucking charts. It's a wonder he was still alive. He's probably a mutant

2/25/2009 7:00:49 PM

That's badass

2/25/2009 7:00:56 PM

that's a really sweet fish and a heartworming story


also heartwarming

[Edited on February 25, 2009 at 7:02 PM. Reason : wormz]

2/25/2009 7:02:18 PM

I am going by there this weekend to see how he is getting acclimated.

TWW OUTING!!!

2/25/2009 7:10:12 PM

bttt before I head out for the night.

GO SEE THIS MOTHERFUCKER

2/25/2009 7:51:33 PM

This happened in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show

2/25/2009 7:54:17 PM

does this dude have a name or is he just Pappy's Fish??

2/25/2009 8:10:29 PM

yay Lionfish!

2/25/2009 10:14:39 PM

that's awesome.

2/25/2009 10:16:23 PM

I go to greensboro once or twice a month. I'll have to check him out!

2/25/2009 10:22:12 PM

LIONFISH/EEL

2/25/2009 10:39:47 PM

very cool story, DJ.

2/25/2009 11:10:44 PM

Quote :

"does this dude have a name or is he just Pappy's Fish??"

I called him Leo for about a year, but usually he's just Pappy's Fish.

2/26/2009 9:10:08 AM

that's a bigass fish

2/26/2009 9:17:59 AM

That's awesome

2/26/2009 9:21:04 AM

big....assfish.

2/26/2009 9:21:06 AM

I just got a call from Rick at the Science Center. He said the fish is doing great and he even took some food this morning.

2/26/2009 9:40:52 AM

thats awesome man...gg on donating it.

i love fish too ... we have a 200 gallon salt water tank at work with some trigger fish, damsels, Morey eel, dog faced puffer and a few others

2/26/2009 9:41:50 AM

yeah triggers and puffers will fuck some shit up too. I had a Valentini Puffer for a few years and I named him "Balls". Every time I would stick my hand in the tank he would bite me, and If I just stood there with the lid open he would spit water out at me

2/26/2009 9:43:06 AM

haha, ours is really fat and lazy. he looks like a tube of sausage floating around the tank.

we currently have a niger trigger and hes the bad ass in the tank.

2/26/2009 9:48:19 AM