Invasive Lionfish Threatens Moroccan Waters, Raising Ecological Concerns

According to the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species (CEEEI) of MITECO, the lionfish is "a very voracious species, which feeds on small fish and crustaceans and quickly adapts to new prey. It can increase the volume of its stomach up to 30 times and withstand long periods of famine." Native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, it is one of the species that have crossed the Suez Canal in recent decades, reports El Español.

Since its first appearance in Israeli waters in 1991, it was not until late August 2022 that the presence of the lionfish was reported again on the Tunisian coast, on the Corralete beach, near Cabo de Gata (Alboran Sea). According to another study published in 2023 based on observations from diving centers in 2021 and 2023, the lionfish, "in just two years, has extended its invasive distribution area in the Mediterranean on two fronts: the northern Aegean Sea and the southern Adriatic Sea." In 2023, its presence was reported in the Aegean Sea, as well as in the waters of Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and Albania.

The lionfish is a dangerous species due to the neurotoxins present in its 13 dorsal spines. This toxic substance is not fatal to humans, but it can seriously affect their health. In an article published in The Conversation, researchers Louise Gentle and Nicholas Ray from Nottingham Trent University explain that this fish reproduces in the Mediterranean where the climate is favorable to it and that its female "can produce about 30,000 eggs per month, or about 4 million per year".

According to the CEEEI, lionfish threaten biodiversity, affect marine ecosystems and accelerate the extinction of other native species that are their prey. They would also "have an impact on fishing, as they devour resources," the researchers point out. This species ranks second on the list of 95 new or emerging invasive species that should be included on the European Union list (EU Regulation 1143/2014).