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Lionfish - Pteriois Volitans By Helen Gardner |
For several years now we have been hearing about the appearance of lionfish in Bermuda waters. The lionfish is native to the sub-tropical and tropical Indo-Pacific region of the world, but in the last eight years they have been spotted with increasing frequency along the southeast coast of the United States from Florida to North Carolina and also throughout the Bahamas, Bermuda and Cuba. There has been a great deal of speculation as to how the lionfish made its way into the Atlantic. One theory is that a number of lionfish were accidentally released into Florida waters when a beach side aquarium was destroyed during hurricane Andrew in 1992. The temperature of the Florida waters is very similar to that of the lionfish’s native habitat, and this fact has helped the lionfish to survive and indeed thrive. However, north of Florida, the surface temperature of the ocean drops and in more northerly waters the lionfish is found at depths greater than 120 feet because this is where the Gulf Stream influences water temperature all year long. In Atlantic waters lionfish have no know predators and this is one of the reasons why scientists are paying so much attention to the lionfish invasion because they are concerned that they may adversely impact native fish populations. They are voracious feeders and appear to eat almost any form of fish life.
Lionfish are noted for their extremely long spines, and generally have a striped appearance, red, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon or white in colour. The lionfish delivers its venom via an arsenal of up to 18 needle-like dorsal fins. Lionfish grow up to about 15 inches in length and their average lifespan in the wild is thought to be about 15 years. Although the venom is not usually fatal to humans, swimmers and divers should avoid contact with this fish at all costs. The venom from a lionfish causes an immediate strong pain. The affected body area will swell rapidly and movement may become very difficult due to the swelling. Lionfish venom can cause nausea, breathing difficulties, paralysis, convulsions and collapse. Recovery from a sting can take up to several months. If you are stung you should immediately immerse the affected body part in very hot water and seek prompt medical attention.
If you catch a lionfish or want more information about them please call 293-4464 x 820 or email lionfish@gov.bm |
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