Lionfish
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
A lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois or Dendrochirus, family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region of the world. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, brown, or black on white. While they are available for home aquaria, the venom of the spines is extremely painful, and lionfish are only recommended for the careful aquarist. They are a very hardy and disease resistant fish, making them a good choice for beginner aquarists. As recent as 2003, they have also been spotted in the warmer coral regions of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Despite being native to the Pacific, several hundred Lionfish are living off the coast of Long Island, NY. They may threaten native species.
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Lionfish
Species called "lionfish":
- Red lionfish Pterois volitans (also peacock lionfish)
- Hawaiian lionfish Dendrochirus barberi
- Plaintail turkeyfish Pterois russelii
Species with "lionfish" in the name:
- Broadbarred firefish Pterois antennata (banded lionfish, spotfin lionfish)
- Radial firefish Pterois radiata (clearfin lionfish, tailbar lionfish, whitefin lionfish)
- Twospot turkeyfish Dendrochirus biocellatus (twinspot lionfish)
- Shortfin turkeyfish Dendrochirus brachypterus (shortfin lionfish)
- Zebra turkeyfish Dendrochirus zebra (dwarf lionfish, zebra lionfish)
Venom
As mentioned before lionfish are a member of the scorpionfish family Scorpaenidae and as such they receive their name from their venomous dorsal, pelvic and anal spines. Typically they have 12 to 13 dorsal spines, 2 pelvic spines and 3 anal spines. Each of these spines has the characteristics of a hypodermic needle and is connected to a venom sack at its base. However the ornate pectoral fins, though similar in appearance the dorsal fins, are not equipped with these glands. The mechanics of envenomation are similar to a syringe. Each long hollow spine is surrounded by a sheath which, when entering a victim, is compressed down the length of the spine. This sheath then presses onto the venom sack compressing it and expelling the venom up the hollow spine into the victim. These spines can break off causing potential long term damage if left alone.
The severity of an envenomation event may depend on the species and the size of the lionfish. The predominate effects of the lionfish venom are severe pain and swelling (edema) in the area around the wound. Other systematic responses such as nausea, dizziness, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, hypotension, and headache have been recorded either from the venom or as a reaction to level of pain.
In a series of 101 documented cases of captive lionfish envenomations in the US, the following effects were reported (Gallagher, 2001):
- 92% of patients experienced local pain
- 60% of patients experienced edema
- 13% of patients experienced systematic symptoms
- 1% of patients experienced tissue necrosis
- 0% of patients experienced death
In another study of 45 documented cases of captive lionfish envenomations reported to the San Francisco Poison Control Center over a 5 year span, the following effects were reported (Kizer, et al, 1985):
- 100% of patients experienced local pain
- 22% of patients experienced pain extending through the affected extremity
- 13% of patients experienced systemic symptoms
- 0% of patients experienced death
Response
Lionfish venom is comprised of thermolabile proteins which, as their name suggests, are vulnerable to heat and denature quite easily. First aid techniques are to immerse wound in hot water(43 – 45 °C) for 30 to 40 min or until pain diminishes.
