Venomous Non-Native Lionfish Spreading Across Atlantic Coast

Indo-Pacific Lionfish. Photo courtesy of NOAA ecologist James Morris.

Placing divers, fisherman, and a large part of the Atlantic Coast’s ecosystems at increasing risk is the population growth of the non-native venomous Indo-Pacific Lionfish.

Now established here, the lionfish are native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, according to scientists at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, which first discovered them in North Carolina in 2000.

There’s speculation that the lionfish have been present off the east coast of Florida since the mid-1990s, most probably released there by amateur aquarists who didn’t want them anymore.

Courtesy of ccfhr.noaa.gov.

“We are finding that the lionfish are spending their winters from North Carolina to the Bahamas, with juveniles found as far north as Rhode Island during the summer months, where the potential for successful survival during the winter months is not possible due to the cold water temperatures,” said James Morris, an ecologist at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

A threat to swimmers and divers are the spines of the fish. All of the spines are venomous, and in the event of being stung, NOAA recommends that any broken spines should be removed, if possible, and the affected areas soaked in non-scalding hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. The venom is counteracted by heat.

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