The lionfish was found in on the south coast of Great Britain. Why the find could be dangerous.
Dorset – A lionfish was found on the coast of Dorset, UK. The dangerous fish are usually found in tropical reefs in the Pacific Ocean. However, it could now be the first time a lionfish has been found in British waters. The origin of the marine life seems unclear, experts say. The lionfish could pose a threat to British marine life.
Oliver Crimmen, senior curator for fish, said the find is very important and needs verification. “It is important to investigate the circumstances of the find and, if possible, preserve the body so we can find out what type of lionfish it is,” said Crimmen. If the fish got into the waters by itself, that would be bad news. Lionfish are potentially aggressive. They have spines and can cause dangerous paralysis in people when touched. In the worst case scenario, they can be fatal.
Lionfish in the UK: Great threat to marine economy
The Indo-Pacific fish are now a threat in large parts of the world, especially in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. They owe their distribution to their tolerance to large temperature fluctuations, as well as their high fertilization rate and their strong poison. Experts believe that their spread is due to aquarium owners intentionally or accidentally releasing their fish. It could therefore be possible that the fish found in a British private collection was lost and later caught again. Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that the lionfish naturally reached British waters.
In Great Britain, such finds are verified by the British Record Fish Committee. Crimmen is a member of the committee. If the find turns out to be true, it would be the first scientific record of a lionfish in Britain. The opportunity to examine the fish provides important information about where it comes from and also whether it has the potential to spread further in the future. “The arrival of a species as vulnerable to attack as the lionfish could pose a major future threat to the UK marine economy,” said Crimmen. (Ares Abasi)
List of rubric lists: © Stefan Sauer / dpa
