A juvenile lionfish, which is native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, was found by divers recently off the coast of the Bahamas, a sign that the venomous fish may now be breeding in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a spokesman from the New England Aquarium.
Lionfish have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean, and recent data show that lionfish are reaching sexual maturity at a younger age, said Tony LaCasse, a spokesman for the aquarium, so the fish could begin to proliferate in these waters.
”[The discovery of a juvenile] is an indicator that they’re reproducing,” LaCasse said. ”Most of the specimens that have been seen in the wild have been adults.”
Although the lionfish does not aggressively threaten humans, if a person came in contact with one, the venom it secretes from spinal glands is painful and can be fatal on rare occasions, LaCasse said.
The juvenile lionfish, found by divers from the New England Aquarium on an expedition, measures less than 4 inches long and will be on display at the aquarium, along with four adult lionfish that the aquarium previously owned.
By: Elizabeth A. Raftery, The Boston Globe
