Lion fish came invasive to the Mediterranean basin and settled it

Hicham boumejout

Invasive species in water have always posed a threat to endemic species and the marine environment alike, but it seems that things on the seabed have become more complex, there are types of these invasive animals looking for stability in their new environment forever, as is the case with lion fish that invaded water The Mediterranean a few years ago and did not leave.

From invasion to settlement
, a recent study published in the journal "Fish Biology" on April 6 confirmed that lion fish, which was first seen in the waters of Cyprus in 2012, flourished a lot and today it is spread throughout the northern Mediterranean.

It seems that the speed of reproduction of these fish worried scientists, where they found that their numbers today - with what they consume - will adversely affect the marine environment of the region, which suffers from many problems.

According to these researchers, it is no longer possible to completely eliminate lion fish, but it can be lessened by establishing an industry that mainly depends on the exploitation of this type of fish, which is not considered commercial because it is not one of the fish consumed by humans.

This study is part of the "RelionMED" program, which was funded by the European Union in the amount of 1.6 million euros, and was launched in cooperation with European universities and research centers.

Dangerous to the marine environment
The program aims - as stated on its website - to study and track the reproduction and spread of this type of fish in the Mediterranean basin, which researchers confirm is made from the waters of the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, and it is considered one of the predatory species that pose a great danger to the species The settlement also destroys the marine environment.

"Lionfish are known to be very dangerous ... the Mediterranean waters have been endemic for about 8 years, and we fear that they will damage the marine environment. We have noted this with what they have done in the waters of the West Atlantic," principal researcher Dr. Safa Lawanis said in the press release accompanying the study. And now, here it is in the waters of the Mediterranean. "

In the year 1994, the first lion fish were registered in Florida waters, but in the year 2014 they became countless, as researchers found that we can find about a thousand fish in one acre (4,200 square meters).

The researchers also noted that the size of these studied fish ranges between 8 and 37 cm, and between six months and four years old, meaning that they have already become endemic, and that the number of the female sex is much greater than the male gender, and this is a bad sign because it causes Growth explosion, which is observed as the rate of reproduction in the Mediterranean waters is higher than that in the Indian Ocean.

Studies and measures for protection
For his part, said the researcher in marine biology at the University of Plymouth Jason Hall Spencer in the press statement that this study highlights the most dangerous type of invasive fish, as it is an opportunity to invite those concerned to introduce preventive measures on the Suez Canal to limit the entry of invasive species .

It seems that the spread of this type of fish is still confined to the northern Mediterranean regions, which was confirmed by a professor in marine sciences at the University of Annaba in eastern Algeria, Farid Derbal, when he said in a telephone statement to Al-Jazeera Net, "Until today, this type of fish has not been recorded in our coasts."

"It seems that the matter is confined only to the northern Mediterranean basin, and it may spread to its south in the future, so we need more studies to prove the existence of this species in the southern Mediterranean regions to take the necessary measures."