{"id":34798,"title":"Are Lionfish a problem?","description":"If you\u2019ve ever been in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean the chances are you\u2019ve come across the infamous striped fish known as the Lionfish. But what is this fish and why do some people love them and others hate them? In this blog we\u2019ll go over all the things you need to know about lionfish so you know all the facts and can decide for yourself at the end of it. What are lionfish?Lionfish (sometimes called zebrafish) are carnivorous fish native to the Indo-Pacific, and in more recent decades have become an invasive species in The Atlantic","content":"

If you\u2019ve ever been in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean the chances are you\u2019ve come across the infamous striped fish known as the Lionfish. But what is this fish and why do some people love them and others hate them? In this blog we\u2019ll go over all the things you need to know about lionfish so you know all the facts and can decide for yourself at the end of it.<\/p>

\"hcs3x7ahfmbhmm6szlr2ie92wl6mxdjr8u6dsgteooi0kipv.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"What are lionfish?<\/h2>

Lionfish (sometimes called zebrafish) are carnivorous fish native to the Indo-Pacific, and in more recent decades have become an invasive species in The Atlantic. They are easily identified by their brown to maroon and even reddish hue stripes over their entire body - the reason for this striking colouration is to discourage predators from eating them. They are nocturnal hunters and like to use an ambush-style approach to catch their prey. They grow to around 18 inches in length and are covered in spines.<\/p>

Something for the nerds, their scientific name is Pterois Volitans<\/em>.<\/p>

If you\u2019re looking to find Lionfish in their native habitat, you should check out the warm, tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. For example, countries like: Australia, French Polynesia, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Southern Japan and Southern Korea.<\/p>

Why are lionfish a problem?<\/h2>

\"xqejyvroehqmt0ifi8n5z5e50nxdhdcr7pwe4zq91upmyojk.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"So from that description we just gave you probably don\u2019t have any alarm bells going off and are wondering why these fish are considered \u2018problematic\u2019. And you\u2019re right, in their native waters they\u2019re fine and no trouble at all. The issue comes from the ones found in the U.S. Atlantic coastal waters. In this part of the world, they are what is known as an \u2018invasive species\u2019. In other words, they are regarded like an alien that doesn\u2019t belong there and threatens native fish and even the entire ecosystem. This is because they are capable of: causing the extinction of native plants and animals, reducing the biodiversity, competing against native species for limited resources and altering the habitats present. So it\u2019s easy to see why invasive lionfish are not a good thing for The Atlantic Ocean. However, this is even worse because lionfish are greedy fish, that have been observed to eat 70-100 species of fish and invertebrates and can eat up to 10 fish per day. And even more troubling is how they have zero predators to hunt them in The Atlantic to help control their numbers so they can expand their population (and takeover) even faster.<\/p>

How fast do lionfish reproduce?<\/h2>

\"jxwydwtqdq60bvggsyx7x1cvthgo6qm3ljcuyxx9xayuriyw.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"The short answer is alarmingly fast. They reach sexual maturity around the age of 1 years old, reproduce all year round and the females release 50,000 eggs every 3 days for the rest of their life. You don\u2019t have to be a mathematician to know that\u2019s a lot. To put this into context, most reef fish only spawn once per year, so it makes more sense why they are quickly outnumbering native fish when you combine this with the fact they have no predators.<\/p>

How did lionfish end up in The Atlantic Ocean to begin with?<\/h2>

\"xegsxqcx1rqbpbilflxsmz4v5xxz0eyp8mj3l0hou32upepj.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"Though it\u2019s not fully known how they came to be in The Atlantic Ocean, their presence there was first discovered in the 1980s (admittedly in small numbers). It is rumoured that the owner of a U.S. aquarium flushed a single lionfish down the toilet, though experts speculate it was most likely that people dumped unwanted lionfish from their home aquariums into The Atlantic without realising the impact it would have had on the ocean. Some credit also goes to Hurricane Andrew back in 1992, this flooded aquarium stores in Miami and resulted in lionfish being released into the ocean.<\/p>

Are Lionfish dangerous?<\/h2>

\"nxfqutuqy9gkffksmk9jabit4cut8qlfoowewjgqydz02lzk.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"The short answer is yes, they can be potentially harmful to humans due to venomous spines covering their bodies. If stung by one of these they can cause the person extreme pain that can last for several days. Symptoms include: pain, sweating, respiratory distress and in some cases even paralysis. It is advised to seek medical attention immediately if stung.<\/p>

Some extra info for the smart peeps who want extra details, the venom is a combination of protein, a neuromuscular toxin and a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.<\/p>

Here are a few tips to treat a lionfish sting to prevent infection and reduce pain (however, I just want to repeat you should seek medical help instead of solely treating it yourself):<\/p>

  1. Remove spines if any are still present in the wound<\/p><\/li>

  2. Clean the wounded area with soap and clean water<\/p><\/li>

  3. Control the bleeding if there is any<\/p><\/li>

  4. Apply heat to help the venom break down<\/p><\/li>

  5. Take pain relief medication<\/p><\/li>

  6. Apply a topical antibiotic cream if available<\/p><\/li>

  7. Use ice or a cold pack to reduce the swelling<\/p>

    (please note, this advice is not our own and is a summary we created from healthline.com<\/a>, for more comprehensive help check out their website or another reliable medical source)<\/p><\/li><\/ol>

    Are lionfish safe to eat?<\/h2>

    \"gkxukuyylrpgibxjs0j4ixh8rcpta9uvablazg0gkzdipdkh.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&v=2\"Though we just explained how lionfish have poisonous spines, the fish itself is safe to eat. With the right preparation, they are safe to eat. The preparation comprises of: stripping them of the venomous spines, then cleaning and filleting them like you would any other fish. They are regarded as quite the delicacy having white flaky meat with a touch of butteriness, with some comparing it to mahi mahi or grouper fillet.<\/p>

    Is lionfish a sustainable seafood?<\/h2>

    NOAA scientists even encourage them to be eaten in The Atlantic as a way of helping to mitigate the spread of lionfish in those areas. Because of this we never have to worry about overfishing them as ideally they should be removed. So in The Atlantic Ocean, if you want fresh locally sourced seafood, lionfish are a top choice. However, just eating lionfish won\u2019t be enough to prevent their rapid spread in The Atlantic because of how rapidly they reproduce (which we covered earlier) so unless significant targeted fishing actions are introduced to counteract their spread, the population in The Atlantic will not decline.<\/span><\/p>

    Final thoughts<\/h2>

    \"6wwfkpktfkpqkuurukkrr6ahykssaprde3indogzoht3xryo.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"Hopefully, you enjoyed all the lionfish info and have a greater understanding of them now: from the simple facts about them, why you shouldn\u2019t touch them, to why they\u2019re causing problems for the ecosystems in The Atlantic. One thing I will say is hard to deny is that they are a very bold and colourful fish at the very least, so much so we even created a design inspired by them on our store (all our clothing is printed with water-based inks on 100% organic cotton). You can see it below<\/p>

    \"nj70db0sshn9aw0xtk295xld99nqch0s9twgvnyz9nikj8l6.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&v=2\"If you enjoyed this blog feel free to check out our other scuba diving blogs.<\/p>","urlTitle":"are-lionfish-a-problem","url":"\/blog\/are-lionfish-a-problem\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/are-lionfish-a-problem\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/narkedshark.co.uk\/blog\/are-lionfish-a-problem\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1703001139,"updatedAt":1703013132,"publishedAt":1703013132,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":114661,"name":"Narked Shark_2"},"tags":[{"id":1430,"code":"ethical","name":"ethical","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/ethical\/"},{"id":1484,"code":"ocean","name":"ocean","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/ocean\/"},{"id":2996,"code":"fish","name":"fish","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/fish\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/yn6gtnttzfroau1pze2knookmbv73342vi184ryltzzheuts.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/yn6gtnttzfroau1pze2knookmbv73342vi184ryltzzheuts.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/yn6gtnttzfroau1pze2knookmbv73342vi184ryltzzheuts.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Are Lionfish dangerous? Here's all the facts","metaDescription":"Are lionfish poisonous? Are they dangerous to people? are they a threat to the oceans? Are they safe to eat? Here's all the facts you need to know about them","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":14809,"title":"How we are making Sustainable & Ethical Clothing","url":"\/blog\/clothing-done-differently\/","urlTitle":"clothing-done-differently","division":114661,"description":"Learn all the innovative decisions Narked Shark has made to make fashion as sustainable as possible. No Greenwashing just Ethical, Carbon Neutral, Eco-friendly Apparel.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/oq8sezptzejcugncnwarpubpck5poevxaokcmxelb6gmdhvc.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/oq8sezptzejcugncnwarpubpck5poevxaokcmxelb6gmdhvc.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":15586,"title":"Microplastics: Why YOU should care about them","url":"\/blog\/microplastics-why-you-should-care-about-them\/","urlTitle":"microplastics-why-you-should-care-about-them","division":114661,"description":"MICROPLASTICS: Learn how plastic is destroying our oceans. With over 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. It's in the animals, our food and now, even in us.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vanb8tasrz8ildo7jylee6lojfglwb33oqshwnrm52vgqvio.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vanb8tasrz8ildo7jylee6lojfglwb33oqshwnrm52vgqvio.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":32744,"title":"The 10 Best Tips to improve at Scuba Diving","url":"\/blog\/the-10-best-tips-to-improve-at-scuba-diving\/","urlTitle":"the-10-best-tips-to-improve-at-scuba-diving","division":114661,"description":"So you recently got certified as a scuba diver and you\u2019re wondering \u201cHow do I improve at scuba diving?\u2019 this blog will give you 10 of the best tips to improve your diving by a scuba professional","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zybueyj8ax1kv6jgbb6qmkhcpskojlfsxiotpbkdvx867yeo.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zybueyj8ax1kv6jgbb6qmkhcpskojlfsxiotpbkdvx867yeo.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}