The reappearance of the poisonous lionfish in the waters around Crete, has set of alarm bell for the authorities in the knowledge, that it has now effectively invaded the Mediterranean.
Sources report that a fisherman who found one of these unusual fish in his nets, whilst fishing south east of Crete, at the beginning of March, initially didn’t know what it was, but on finding out, didn’t hide his fear.
Last July, the same fish had been spotted in the seas of Lasithi.
It is a new breed of fish to our region, that began appearing in Greek seas about two years ago. It belongs to the group known as stone fish and it looks a lot like a scorpion fish, as it’s large spines cover it’s whole body. It is however one of the most dangerous and poisonous fish that swim in the seas of this planet.
Although it is edible and apparently quite tasty, if you are stabbed by one the spines, the pain caused is severe and can last for up to several months. If you have an allergic reaction to the venom, it can be fatal. It has been said that fishermen have been known to cut off their hands to be rid of the unbearable pain, felt from the prick and the poison.
The works to dredge and widen the Suez Canal, in combination with the elevated temperature of the sea, with climate changes, have together, basically opened the door to this type of fish moving into the SouthEast Mediterranean.
Until now, approximately twenty lionfish have been seen in Cyprus, sometimes in pairs, whilst in southern Turkish waters, they are seen more often. Their infiltration into water further and further towards the north and the Aegean is widely anticipated, and already, the Greek Centre for Marine Research has made an announcement after sightings in sea west of Rhodes.