Watch out for the scorpion fish. Two new sightings in Calabria

Another results realized by Citizen Science

Two specimens of Pterois miles scorpion fish sighted in the Calabrian waters, the first captured a few days ago in the locality of 'Le Castella' by professional fishermen at a depth of about 24 metres, the second sighted and photographed on 25 June during a dive along the coasts of Marina di Gioiosa Ionica (RC), by a diver at about 12 meters of depth.

The sightings were promptly reported to ISPRA, the Crotone Harbor Master's Office and the AlienFish project of the Mediterranean Marine Fauna Authority, involved together with the CNR-IRBIM (Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology) in the alert campaign called Beware of those 4!

The species was reported for the first time in Italy in 2016 in south-eastern Sicily and is one of the most invasive species in the world, known to have invaded most of the western Atlantic coasts with massive ecological impacts.

The sting of these thorns can cause serious damage to those who suffer it, in rare cases even with a lethal outcome. The poison remains active from 24 to 48 hours after the death of the fish, so the danger of the species remains high even on specimens that have been dead for several hours.

Press release (ita)

Brochure