LION FISH ROAR IN CARIBBEAN

Gorgeous but deadly! That is how one diver described the Lion Fish he saw recently at 'The Bridge', a popular St. Maarten dive site. Having reported the sighting, the St. Maarten Nature Foundation swung into action and after a couple of attempts managed to capture the Lion Fish, which turned out to be a juvenile. A few days later, divers reported sighting a Lion Fish off the coast of Saba, so it seems they are beginning to establish themselves in local waters. If you are stung by a Lion Fish, then you are in for some serious pain and, under the right circumstances, contact with the wrong end of a Lion Fish can prove fatal. Injuries to divers and swimmers are bad enough, but the arrival of this invasive species will, if allowed to go unchecked, cause untold damage to Caribbean reefs and indigenous species. The Nature Foundation euthanized the Lion Fish and dissected it for study. But where there's one, there must be many. How did this threat arrive in the Caribbean? News sources say two Lion Fish found their way into the ocean after a tank at a Miami aquarium was damaged during a hurricane, and it's their progeny that are now working their way down the island chain. Divers and swimmers are asked to report all sightings of Lion Fish to the relevant local authorities. In the mean time, keep your fingers and toes out of the way or the lion that roars might be you!