Serious injuries, amputated fingers Poisonous puffer fish threatens popular vacation region on the Mediterranean
Scientists are warning of the increasing presence of a poisonous puffer fish in the Mediterranean and Adriatic. It can be dangerous due to bites and a strong neurotoxin.
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- The poisonous pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (hare's head pufferfish) is increasingly spreading in the Mediterranean and Adriatic and poses a serious threat, according to scientists.
- The fish contains the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin and has already caused serious injuries to swimmers through bites.
- Researchers are calling for increased monitoring and containment measures, as tourism, fishing and public safety are under threat.
The poisonous pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (hare's head pufferfish) is spreading in popular vacation regions of the Mediterranean and Adriatic, researchers warn.
This species, which is originally native to tropical waters, poses a serious threat to humans. The fish can cause serious injuries through its bites and also contains the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin.
Researchers Neven Iveša and Moira Buršić emphasize that the increasing presence of the fish in coastal areas poses a direct threat to tourism, reports "rtl.de". Dr. Neven Iveša is a research associate at the University of Pula in Croatia.
In areas frequented by swimmers, cases of bites leading to serious injuries have already been reported. In some cases, fingers even had to be amputated.
Lagocephalus sceleratus was first spotted in the Mediterranean in 2003 and has since spread further. A particularly alarming discovery was made about a year ago in the Croatian bay of Medulin, a popular vacation hotspot in the northern Adriatic. This discovery shows how far the fish has already spread.
Dr. Iveša warns that the presence of the fish in the northern Adriatic is a clear warning sign of its spread. The pufferfish threatens not only local marine life, but also tourism, fishing and public safety.
Scientists are therefore calling for increased monitoring measures and targeted removal operations to curb the spread of the fish.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
