Curious Lionfish on Similan Islands

This Lionfish is very interested in Dan - The Video Man. His camera seems pretty strange, so he comes up to check it out.

Lionfish are so strange - elegant, yet very dramatic. Not really the most hydrodynamic of fish and not fast swimmers.

However they are fun to watch and seeing them in a current is pretty funny. However those fins are not just pretty, they are all filled with toxins and are painful - if not deadly to get stung by. Please don't put these in your mouth!

more info....

A Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae.

Caution

NOAA encourages everyone (divers and fishers) to be extremely cautious and avoid contact with the venomous spines of the lionfish. Although they are not deadly, they are very painful. Lionfish are not aggressive toward humans and will almost always keep their distance when given the opportunity, so they pose a relatively low risk.

Venom

The lionfish is one of the most venomous fish on the ocean bottom floor. Lionfish have venomous dorsal spines that are used purely for defense. When threatened, the fish often faces its attacker in a head-down posture which brings its spines to bear. However, a lionfish's sting is usually not fatal to humans. If a human is envenomed, that person will experience extreme pain, and possibly headaches, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. A common treatment is soaking the afflicted area in hot water, as very few hospitals carry specific treatments. However, immediate emergency medical treatment is still advised, as some people are more susceptible to the venom than others.

Feeding

Lionfish are voracious predators. When hunting, they corner prey using their large fins and then use their quick reflexes to swallow the prey whole. In captivity, lionfish can be trained to eat frozen brine shrimp, mysis, and krill.

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Lionfish are common on most of dive sites - especially at night. They are not great in currents, so they tend to be in the more protected sites. At Bon Soong Wreck there are dozens - if not hundreds of them. While dangerous - we still have no accidents due to safe diving practices (Don't touch anything!!!!!!)


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