Lionfish make their home off the southern coast of Europe, threatening local marine life in the Mediterranean

Lionfish – the most invasive and destructive fish species – are thriving in southern Europe, threatening local marine life in the Mediterranean. This fish first appeared on the island of Cyprus 8 years ago and has venomous spiny fins and warning red, white, milky white or black banded stripes. Lionfish weigh about 1 to 2 pounds on average and can grow to 30 to 38.1 centimeters long. However, experts have found that lionfish in the Mediterranean for about four years are 37 centimeters long, larger than the lionfish of the same age in the Indian Ocean of origin. Lionfish are known to overpopulate fish in areas, disrupt the balance of existing food nets in the invasion areas, and aggressively push native fish into areas where living conditions are less favorable.

The discovery, by a joint team from the UNITED Kingdom and Cyprus, raises concerns about whether lionfish have permanently become one of the marine life of the Mediterranean. The researchers even suggested targeting the Suez Canal as a market target, developing a dedicated lionfish industry to reduce the damage from these invaders.

Because lionfish are known to science as the most invasive and destructive fish, the rapid expansion of lionfish in the Mediterranean in recent years is a serious problem, and there are concerns about the balance of marine life in the region, the researchers said. The study really highlights the need for biosecurity measures in the Suez Canal – the Suez Canal is like an open artery from which invasive marine species pour in.

After successfully infiltrating the western Atlantic, lionfish became a notorious invasive species. The fish was first recorded off the coast of Florida in 1994, but as of 2014, there were about 1,000 lionfish per acre in the area. After the first appearance of lionfish off the coast of Cyprus in 2012, researchers now fear that an equally strong lionfish invasion may be playing out in the Mediterranean. The researchers examined some Mediterranean lionfish and found individuals ranging from one and a half to 4 years old, ranging in length from 7.6 centimeters to 35.5 centimeters. This age and length suggest that the Lionfish has successfully bought a house around the island.

Moreover, what worries scientists about the discovery is that the number of female lionfish in general exceeds that of male lionfish — male individuals can mate with multiple females, which may lead to a surge in lionfish populations. Among the many threats to marine ecosystems, biological pollution is less pronounced for human perception, but in reality, its impact is enough to upset the ecosystem balance, the researchers said. While not all alien species can successfully settle or endanger their new habitats, some adapt relatively easily, showing rapid expansion, with catastrophic effects on local marine life. This is evidenced by the number of lionfish in the western Atlantic, and now this is happening again in the Mediterranean.

The study was published in the journal Fish Biology

This article is translated from dailymail and published by translator jasmine under the Creative Commons License (BY-NC).