Necrosis of the Ass

Subject: Lionfish/Zebrafish/Scorpionfish/Butterfly Cod/Turkey Fish/Dragon Fish
Pterois spp.

I was reading an article in the 27 July 2010 edition of The Miami Herald (in the "Sports" section, of all places) about how lionfish have invaded the waters off of the Florida Keys (because the pythons and iguanas weren't enough of a problem), and are becoming a major concern because of the upcoming lobster "miniseason," during which time divers will almost inevitably come into contact with these fish.


Why so serious? Lionfish venom, secreted at the base of several spines along the dorsal, anal, and pelvic regions, causes severe reactions in humans, "like a bee sting times 100" (Miami Herald). Lionfish are also complete assholes when they think they're in some sort of danger, and will readily attack a potential predator (the venom in those spines has to be good for SOMETHING, seeing as they don't bother with it when hunting).

While there only used to be a few lionfish in Florida's waters, these prolific breeders have begun multiplying, and can now be seen throughout the Keys and in Biscayne Bay. Most likely, someone decided that having something dangerous which would gobble up all the other expensive fish in their tank wasn't such a good idea, after all, and thought that the Florida Keys would be easier to get to than the Indo-Pacific reefs from whence the lions came.

According to the Miami Herald article, the gloves typically worn by SCUBA divers aren't thick enough to protect one from envenomation by these frilly, gaudy-looking fish. So, if you're going looking for these things (or for the lobsters who share a very similar habitat), raid your local medical supply store for the type of gloves doctors wear in order to avoid puncture by needles (I'd tell you to steal them from your local hospital, but that's illegal). In other words, when lobster diving, don't try to see where you're going by feeling about with your hands (or any other body parts), as you're likely to be in for a nasty, painful surprise. If you do decide to go putting your body parts in crevices you can't see into, remember that, like with all venomous creatures, the best place to get stung is the butt, which has the least blood vessels and the most fat (usually). However, one might find it difficult to explain to their physician why their ass has suddenly acquired necrosis or some other nasty-looking side effect of having been bitten/stung by something venomous (side note: lionfish stings don't actually cause necrosis).

So, what are the effects of lionfish venom, other than an ass-load of pain? While there is a slim to zero chance of dying from getting stung by one of these prickly predators, you would experience nausea and a bit of trouble breathing.

If you do have a run-in with a lionfish which does not work out in your favor, apply heat to the puncture wound either by using hot water or a rag or shirt soaked and warmed on a motor of some sort. If you do need to alleviate the pain of a lionfish sting, don't burn yourself, as this would probably hurt you worse than the sting, itself.

National Geographic has a great photo of the Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans, as well as a map showing the area to which these fish typically belong.


Glossary:
Dorsal-- referring to the “back” of an animal.

Anal fin--referring to that which is located on the ventral side of a bony fish or shark, behind the anus.

Pelvic fin--can also be referred to as the ventral fin; depending on the fish, their exact location can vary, but are always on the underside.

Necrosis--tissue death, usually extremely noticeable because the tissue turns black. For an example of necrosis, see what happens when one is bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider, Loxosceles reclusa (I found the least disgusting picture possible without looking at too many spiders).


Works Cited:
Allaby, Michael. Oxford Dictionary of Zoology. NY: Oxford Press, 2003.

Backshall, Steve. Venomous Animals of the World. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007.

Clark, Cammy. "Venomous Invader." The Miami Herald 27 July 2010 late ed.: 2D, 7D. Print.

Dornfeld, Ann. "Spreading Lionfish Invasion Threatens Bahamas." npr.org. National Public Radio. 9 August 2009. Web. 27 July 2010.

"Lionfish." animals.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic Society. n.d. Web. 27 July 2010.

This post is dedicated to all those who "knew" my first post of this blog would be about a snake, and who have valiantly tolerated my zoology-related psychosis over some portion of the past 20 years, and to Carla, who taught me how to properly spell "feesh."