The new "king" of the Atlantic, lionfish arrived in eastern Venezuela

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The Pterois volitans, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, has reproduced at great speed in the Caribbean Sea, and has been observed in 31 localities of the national territory. Falcón, Carabobo, Vargas, Miranda, Los Roques, Las Aves, Anzoátegui, and Sucre have already been visited by dangerous predator that could alter the country’s economy and tourism.

The Pterois volitans, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, has reproduced at great speed in the Caribbean Sea, and has been observed in 31 localities of the national territory. Falcón, Carabobo, Vargas, Miranda, Los Roques, Las Aves, Anzoátegui, and Sucre have already been visited by dangerous predator that could alter the country’s economy and tourism.

The lionfish not only resembles the "king of the jungle" in its name or its particular crest, but also in the title of sovereign, in this case of the Atlantic Ocean, which it obtained thanks to its condition of a dangerous predator. With a beautiful body painted with multicolored stripes and a size out of proportion to the scope of its venom and voracity, the Pterois volitans has attracted the attention of researchers, biologists, and even chefs, since it invaded Venezuelan territory.

The scorpion fish, as it is also known, is a species that comes from the eastern Indian and Pacific oceans. There are several hypotheses about its appearance in the Atlantic that are related to the escape of six specimens from an aquarium in Florida, in the United States, and with ballast water discharges, a maritime navigation technique that ensures the stability of a ship, and that if not properly managed, can transfer various larvae of marine species from one continent to another.

Since 1992, this fish has been observed in various coastal areas of countries such as Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Retheturtlefoundation, Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti, Colombia, Aruba, Curacao and more recently in Venezuela, which has triggered an alert, since in addition to causing alterations in the fishing and tourist activity and economy, it is a highly toxic animal for the human race.

On September 19, a group of biologists managed to capture and identify the first specimen in the waters of Mochima National Park, specifically at a depth of six meters in the reef patch of Morro Pelota Islet, in front of the crowded Puinare beach, representing the easternmost extension of the Southern Caribbean where this species has been seen.

According to data provided by Ana Teresa Herrera Reveles and María Fernanda González, from the Oceanographic Institute of Venezuela, and José Gregorio Núñez, Alan Martínez and Luis Alejandro Ariza, from the Universidad De Oriente (Sucre), the lionfish was caught during the development of a scientific project led by professors Baumar Marín and María Josefina Hernández; it is apparently juvenile, has a total length of 7.5 cm, body height of 2 cm, dorsal fin projections of 2 cm and 10.5 cm of the pelvic fins. It is preserved in the Laboratory of Ichthyoplankton of the Oceanographic Institute of Venezuela.

Multiplication

In a paper published in the digital newspaper Analítica.com, Oscar M. Lasso-Alcalá, from Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales, and Juan Posada, professor at Universidad Simón Bolívar, explained that the rapid expansion of the lionfish is mainly due to its reproduction. The female can lay up to 30,000 eggs three times a month, and when these eggs are fertilized, they are dragged and dispersed by marine currents.

These researchers, both in charge of an alert campaign to warn Venezuelans of the presence of the fish, recommend overexploiting the species. The absence of natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean not only contributes to the multiplication of lionfish, but also demonstrates the danger of moving species from one ecosystem to another.

The consumption of lionfish meat is not toxic, since the poison is contained in the spines, which, once removed and within an hour of being caught, there is no danger whatsoever. Recently, the renowned chef Sumito Estévez joined the alert program and will explain how to prepare the white meat of this specimen on the stove.